The Divorce Lawyer
by Tonks Ozog
Summary: [MuggleAU] Hermione never thought she would end up seeking a divorce lawyer, but when the need arises, he brings her so much more than marital freedom...
1. Chapter 1

**PROLOGUE**

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Throughout her life, Hermione's parents drilled into her the importance of hard work and aspirations. They had been the perfect example of what could be achieved through hard work and keeping your eye on an end goal and remaining determined to achieve it. Hermione was the product of a happy accident between her parents while they were still at university, but instead of dropping out as most people probably would, her mother had continued her studies. She only took two days off when she was born and then somehow managed to continue attending lectures and pass her exams with flying colours.

Her mum and dad had set up their own private rental practice when Hermione had been a child, meaning that she was never left wanting for anything. They were not rich by any means, but her upbringing had been comfortable. Their example had been Hermione's inspiration and she had worked extremely hard throughout her life to get to where she was now.

At the age of 27, Hermione was the assistant and close friend of the Prime Minister, Kingsley Shacklebolt. She was party to his decisions regarding the running of the country and helped to prepare his speeches as well as organising his schedule. She was happy and her parents were very proud of her accomplishments.

Hermione's life was a good one, provided that she ignore the one glaring issue that loomed over her like a giant storm cloud. As long as Hermione continued to plead ignorance about her failing marriage, her life would be as perfect as it seemed to all that knew them. Because she had never spoken of her feelings regarding her husband to anyone, feeling that her reputation for perfection would be left in ruins if she admitted that she had grown to dress going home after a long day to babysit the man she married.

She had married Ron almost as soon as she had left Secondary School under pressure from his family to bare his name as she left for university. Of course she had loved him and marrying him had seemed logical, as they had been together since they were both fourteen, best friends since they were eleven. Seven years seemed like a lifetime to them when they had been so young, as it often does, and in their immaturity they had truly believed that they knew all there was to know about each other.

She had, of course, been the only married student at the university and had been questioned about it repeatedly throughout her time studying Politics at Oxford. She had, obviously, defended her decision and her husband whenever the questions were asked. There didn't seem to be any issues between them while she had been at university, probably because they barely saw each other and had plenty of time to themselves. No, it wasn't until after she had graduated that the problems had started.

It started out as small things. His laundry sitting just outside the basket, where he had thrown it and not bothered to pick it up and put it in properly. The hairs left in the sink after he had shaved. His shoes left in the middle of the hallway, just waiting for her to fall over them as she got up early to get ready for work. Over time these things had begun to grow from minor irritations to massive issues that, no matter how many times she asked or mentioned them, would never change.

But it wasn't just his lazy habits that had begun the degradation of what was supposed to be a lifelong partnership. The one thing that led her to doubt their comparability was his dismaying lack of any sort of aspiration. Her husband worked in a sports shop, a sales assistant who helped customers when they couldn't find the right size of t-shirt or needed a particular sized football boot. It wasn't like he wanted to progress, either. He was perfectly happy in his minimum wage role.

As if that wasn't bad enough, he had recently began to suggest that it was time for her to quit work to become a housewife, as he wanted to start a family. He had asked her quite a few times to quit her job and start trying for a baby, and every time she bit her tongue to keep from laughing in his face. He didn't seem to understand that her job was the one that paid the bills, for the flat that they lived in and the food that he shovelled down his throat at an alarming rate. She earned four times what he did. They would barely notice a difference if he wasn't working, but if she stopped… Well, they wouldn't be able to survive.

His weight was an issue, too, that had started when she had been at university and had become painfully obvious when they moved in together. She had always known that he loved to eat, he was constantly gorging on everything he could get his hands on, but he had a particular hatred for anything that could possibly be good for him. Sure, he could devour a sharing bag of Doritos, practically inhale a box of 12 donuts and if you put a cake designed for 12 people in front of him he would be able to make it disappear single handed, but if you so much as suggested he munch on some carrot sticks of eat a healthy vegetable casserole, he would scoff like you were crazy.

His weight had ballooned and the tall, lean man she had fell in love with was now lost to a 19 stone man who spent most of his time laying on his back stuffing his face, refusing to make any changes. Where she had once been sexually attracted to his skinny frame, she now felt slightly ill if she imagined feeling his weight looming above her in bed. How he imagined they could start a family when their sex life was non-existent was beyond her, but even if they ever did have a child, how did he expect to keep up with them when getting up from the sofa left him breathless?

So yes, while Hermione was incredibly happy in her work, her home life left much to be desired. However, despite her unhappiness with her marriage, she had never divulged this information to anybody. She had been brought up to believe that marriage was a lifelong act and that once you said your vows, that was it, you had chosen someone to spend the rest of your life with. So she had resigned herself to this life of misery and her empty heart. No matter how she felt about him, he was her husband and this was her life.


	2. Chapter 2

**April 1st, 2007**

The cramped and messy council house was filled pretty much to capacity with friends and family of the Weasley family, brought together with the joint intention of celebrating the twin sons of Molly and Arthur. Just the same as each year before, the pranks and practical jokes had been coming thick and fast for the last few hours and screams of laughter could be heard at random throughout the house. Hermione had so far managed to avoid falling victim to any of the traps the twins had set, but she remained cautious, knowing that danger lurked around every corner.

She was sitting alone on one of the rickety, second hand chairs at the kitchen table, listening to the gleeful shouts and laughter emanating from her many nieces and nephews when Ron entered the room and began to rummage through the cupboards in search of food. Hermione rolled her eyes and bit the inside of her cheek to prevent saying anything that could cause an argument. When he gave up on his hunt for junk food, Ron pulled out another chair and she heard it creek under the strain of his heavy form.

"Hello, love." He grinned and she forced a smile onto her face as she turned to him.

"Having a good time?" She asked and he nodded, Hermione almost groaned as a familiar look crossed his features and he reached forward to put his sweaty hand on top of hers.

"I think it's time that you gave up work." He said and she groaned, pulling her hand out from under his and stood from the table.

"Ron," she sighed as she leaned against the cluttered counter, "You know how I feel about this."

"Everyone here has at least one kid, 'Mione!" He snapped as he slammed his hand down on the table.

This argument had been coming up more and more often and she knew how it would go. She would tell him that they wouldn't cope without her job, that she loved her work and didn't want to quit. She would suggest if he was so desperate to have children he quit work and look after them, and he would argue that the man had to be the breadwinner and the woman should be at home. In an effort to avoid rehashing the same never ending spiral of arguments that never got them anywhere, She tried a slightly different approach. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she took a deep breath before she looked up at him.

"Ron, you work a minimum wage job!" She said, trying to remain calm, "The money you earn wouldn't support the two of us, letalone a whole family."

"What are you talking about?" He asked, frowning. "Mum and dad had seven kids on just dad's income. If they can manage, so can we!"

"You cannot be serious!" She hissed, exasperated, "Ron, your parents claim benefits and live in a council house!"

"So? What's wrong with that?" He asked.

"I give up." She sighed, shaking her head and walking out of the room.

She entered the living room, looking around at the huge family squeezed in amongst the sagging bookshelves and hand-me-down furniture with barely enough room to move around each other and sighed. She knew that if she expressed her thoughts on this she would come across as a snob, but that wasn't the truth. Working in her role, she had an deep understanding of the benefits system in Britain and she knew that the only way the Weasleys had survived was because of government handouts.

Housing Benefit paid their rent for the house that was already provided for a ridiculously cheap price by the council, they had received money for each of their children every month and they had qualified for free school dinners and help with their bills because they had a low income and so many children. They had never survived on one wage. They had received almost as much in benefits every year as she earned. But it didn't seem to matter to Ron. Her parents had stopped with her, knowing they would struggle to afford another child and wanting to know that they had supported themselves through their own hard work. That desire had been passed down to her, but she would never make Ron understand that.

Deciding that she would rather not battle through the hoard of redheaded Weasleys in order to get to the twins, she pulled the two small presents that she had bought, wrapped and brought with her knowing that Ron wouldn't bother out of her handbag and put them with the rest and moved towards the front door, hoping to make a quiet exit and be rewarded with some relaxation time at home without Ron asking her to do something for him every five minutes. Unfortunately, she failed when she felt a hand close around her arm and turned to see Harry smiling at her.

"Where are you going?" He asked and she sighed.

"I was just about to head home," she told him tiredly, "I'm really tired and I've got to get to the office early tomorrow, so…"

"Oh, alright." He nodded, "Everything ok?"

"Of course, Harry," she forced herself to smile, "why wouldn't it be?"

"Just wondering. Ron has seemed a bit… Off, lately." He shrugged and she forced out a snort.

"He's done a couple of late shifts at work," she lied, "it's probably just that."

"Yeah, probably." Harry nodded, "Alright, I'll say your goodbyes for you?"

"Thanks Harry." She nodded, turning around and pulling open the front door.

Stepping into the fresh air, Hermione took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to compose herself. She was finding it harder and harder to hide how she was feeling and her thoughts about her marriage. She wished more than anything that she had someone to talk to, someone who wouldn't judge her for her opinions but would offer her some useful words of advice and perhaps a shoulder to lean on when times were difficult. Though she had many friends, they all either held such stressful lives already or they were too close to the Weasleys to be objective, as was the case with Harry.

Opening her eyes, she offered a smile to a passing stranger and dug her hands into her handbag to find her car keys, hidden amongst the paperwork she had amassed from her working week and receipts shoved in her bag roughly as she hurried out of one shop or another. She found the keys right at the bottom and pressed the button on the fob to unlock the car and she heard the locking mechanism click on her black BMW, so out of place amidst the old battered cars that lined the rest of the street. She pulled open the door and put her key in the ignition, hearing the engine turn over and clicked her seatbelt into place.

She reversed out of the driveway and began her drive home, reminiscing on her time with Harry and Ron at secondary school. They hadn't started out as being close, but they had saved her from a group of older bullies halfway through their first year and had been inseparable since. It made sense that she would end up with Ron, she supposed. It made for a nice automatic family when her and Harry both married into the Weasley family and it would be perfect if she and Ron weren't polar opposites.

Harry had always been her closest friend and always supported her and would usually be her first choice for someone to discuss this with, but he was married to Rons sister and it wouldn't be fair to confide in him and create secrets within his marriage with Ginny. Other than him, her closest friend was Kingsley and she snorted at the mere thought of confiding minor marital issues with the man who was charged with running the country. Evidently, he had bigger things to worry about.

She turned left and pulled into the underground parking garage of their block of flats, driving nose first into the space designated for her. She turned the car off and relaxed back against the leather seat. She knew that Ron would arrive home angry that she had left the party without him, but she was struggling to find it within herself to care. He could walk the three miles home for all he cared, but she knew he would manage to hitch a ride with Harry.

She sighed as she stepped out of the car and walked towards the lift, pressing the locking button on her keys over her shoulder, satisfied when the click of the car behind her. Pressing the up button, she was happy to find the lift opening immediately and stepped inside, pressing the button for the 10th floor.


	3. Chapter 3

**April 10th 2007**

Hermione paused to catch her breath as she finally sat down on the chair behind her wooden desk. Number 10 Downing Street was abuzz with activity today, preparing for a visit from the German Chancellor in the coming week. There were politicians and government officials coming in and out and at 3o'clock in the afternoon, Hermione had only just found a chance to sit down. Typically, within two minutes of her bum hitting the chair, the intercom buzzed and Kingsley's voice sounded from it.

"Hermione, could you come to my office please?" He asked and Hermione groaned before pressing the button to reply.

"Yes, Kingsley. Do you need me immediately?" She asked with false cheer.

He replied that it would be best and she gathered her notebook and pen before standing and rounding the desk. Leaving the room she turned left and passed two doors before raising her hand and knocking on the door, entering when he called out that she could. He was sitting behind his desk and smiled when she came in, indicating for her to have a seat.

"What a day." He grinned and she smiled back, nodding.

"Tell me about it. How are the preparations going?" She asked.

"Hotel reservations are done, yes?" He asked and she checked her notebook before nodding.

"The Four Seasons, Park Lane for four nights commencing on the 18th." She told him and he grinned, nodding.

"As always I am grateful for your impeccable organisation, Hermione. The preparations are almost finished, though I need nothing more from you." He said, leaning his elbows on his desk and eyeing her carefully. "But that isn't what I called you in for, I'm worried about you."

"Oh I'm fi-"

"Hermione you have been my assistant and friend as long as I have been in Number 10, please don't start lying to me now." He said and Hermione sighed.

"It's nothing Kingsley, just some issues at home but it's not going to affect my work." She assured him and he shook his head.

"I would not believe for a second that you would allow anything to interfere with you work here, Hermione, I am worried for your health. You look exhausted." He said and she nodded.

"I am, but it's nothing I can't handle, Kingsley, I assure you." She smiled and he sighed, nodding.

"Very well." He sighed, "But I would like to think that you could tell me if these issues were causing you any major problems, yes?"

"Of course, Kingsley. Am I free to go or do you need something from me?" She asked, standing and he shook his head.

"There's nothing more we can do here today, why don't you go home early?"

She nodded and left the room, pulling the door closed gently behind her and pinched the bridge of her nose. Nobody had ever asked her directly if she had been having issues, and she knew for Kingsley to ask then the strain of pretending that her life was all ok must be starting to show. Sighing, she walked back into her office and put her notebook in her handbag before switching off her laptop and putting that in there too.

She walked through the busy townhouse, greeting strangers and politicians as she passed and saying goodbye for the day to her colleagues. The false smile that she plastered onto her face in such situations was starting to make her cheeks ache and she was looking forward to getting to the private safety of her car. She breathed a sigh of relief as she crossed the private car park and got into the BMW, starting the engine and pulling away after she clicked her seatbelt into its hole. She waved to the guard as he opened the gate to the private street for her to drive out and set off home, hoping that Ron wouldn't be home for a few hours.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

Much to her disappointment, Ron was home when she arrived and greeted her with a grunt, evidently not deeming her arrival as important enough to tear his eyes away from the TV. Hermione rolled her eyes and shrugged off her jacket, hanging it on the hook before walking through to the kitchen and setting the oven to pre-heat. Opening the fridge, she found a packet of mince and a variety of vegetables and pulled them out, deciding to make a Bolognese for tonight's dinner. Just as she was chopping the Onions to go in with the mince that was gently frying on the hob, Ron walked into the kitchen, immediately opening the fridge to find something to eat.

"I'm just making dinner," she told him tersely and he shrugged, continuing his exploration of the fridge, "Ron, it will only be about 30 minutes!"

"I'm hungry now." He told her as he pulled a box from the fridge that held a sandwich, opening it and taking a massive bite.

"Ron!" Hermione snapped, "that was my lunch for tomorrow!"

"You can make another one," he shrugged and Hermione shut her eyes, biting the inside of her cheek, hoping to avoid another argument, "What are you doing home early, anyway?"

"Kingsley didn't need me any more today," she shrugged, "The preparations for the Chancellor's visit are almost complete, so…"

"The who?" He asked and Hermione rolled her eyes, but returned to chopping without responding.

She heard him leave the kitchen and his groan as he flopped back onto the sofa and was glad to have the time alone. Cooking had always been relaxing to her and she enjoyed it, Though begrudged the responsibility of having to prepare every meal for a man who was more than old enough to cook for himself. Sighing to herself as she put the last of the ingredients in the pan and put a garlic baguette in the oven to cook she pulled out the ingredients to make another sandwich to replace the one he had shoved down his throat.

They ate in complete silence and Hermione enjoyed the peace, running through all the preparations for the Chancellor's visit in her head as she ate. He finished his huge portion and left his dirty plate on the table, not bothering to thank her, and returned to his usual position on the sofa. She watched him through the doorway as he flicked through the channels and finally settled on something. She briefly wondered if they had done something wrong for their marriage to have reached this point. She didn't think so, but then again, anything was possible.

She didn't even mention to him that she was going for a long soak in the bath and then straight to bed. He wouldn't notice that she wasn't there unless he wanted another beer from the fridge, but his calls for her would go unheeded tonight. She needed to relax, and that was something that wasn't possible when she was playing mother instead of wife to him. She filled the bath and added her favorite Jasmine scented bubble bath before stripping her business suit and sliding down into the water. Just as she relaxed, she heard him call her name and snorted. He could look after himself for once in his life.

Crawling into bed later on, she could clearly hear every word from the TV and she knew that it would keep her awake, but she didn't feel like seeing his face at the moment so she pulled her iPod out of her bedside drawer and plugged a pair of headphones in that she found in there too. Flicking through to an audiobook and put the earphones in, thankfully drowning out the noise of whatever programme he had settled on for the evening. She set her alarm for the morning, she closed her eyes and drifted into her dreams.


	4. Chapter 4

**April 20th 2007**

Hermione entered her office in Number 10 to find her colleague, Justin Finch-Fletchley waiting for her. She wondered if she had forgotten something for the Chancellor's visit, but after quickly running through her mental checklist, she found that everything was as it should be. Technically, neither she or he needed to be here today, but it was Ron's day off from his job at the Sports shop and she couldn't stomach the thought of spending the entire day in uncomfortable silence with her own husband and had decided to come into work to catch up on paperwork. She didn't know what Justin was doing here, though.

"Everything ok, Justin?" She asked as she rounded her desk and sat in her chair, pulling her laptop and notebook from her bag and placing them down on top of it.

"Pretty much." He smiled, though she found that his eyes were dull and frowned.

"Are you sure about that? Did I miss something?" She frowned and he shook his head.

"No, it's nothing to do with work," He assured, "Just some personal problems at home. Uh… I was wondering if you had the papers f-"

"Justin?" She interrupted and he snapped his mouth shut, looking at her. "Want to talk about it?"

"My wife is... Uh, well, she wants a divorce." He told her and sat down heavily in the chair on the other side of her desk. "She handed me the papers this morning."

"Oh!" Hermione gasped, feeling terribly sorry for him, "I'm so sorry, Justin! Has she given a reason?"

"Not the real one," he shook his head, "I know she's been seeing someone else, but she's put the official reason down as irreconcilable differences."

"Oh dear." She murmured, "Oh Justin… How are you coping?"

"Honestly?" He snorted, "I came straight here. I've been the only one here until you showed up. I'm sorry to dump this one you, Hermione."

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to know." She told him with a smile and shrugged, "And you're not the only one having troubles at home."

"You too?" He asked and she nodded.

She thought about it, wondering if she could tell Justin what she had been thinking and feeling towards her husband, without fear of judgement or the worry that it would turn into office gossip. Justin was never one to divulge secrets to anyone, and Hermione trusted him implicitly. Having heard about is apparently impending divorce, she guessed that he would at least know some of what she was going through. Deciding that he was her best and probably only option as a confidant, she told him everything that had been running through her mind and when she was finished, he nodded as though in agreement.

"So he wants you to quit? So you can have children?" He asked and Hermione nodded, hearing a snort from Justin.

"He doesn't seem to understand how expensive everything is, you know? Our flat is not cheap and the bills are extortionate. My car is my only luxury. Even the food bills are astronomically high because of his gluttonous eating habits." She told him and he hummed in agreement, silent for a few seconds before he warily looked into her eyes.

"It doesn't sound great Hermione." He sighed, "You can't be happy with him?"

"I'm not," she sighed, feeling her eyes sting and furiously blinking to prevent tears from falling, "But I married him, that's a lifelong commitment."

"Hermione, plenty of people get divorced these days." He told her, "It wouldn't be the end of the world. I could never imagine you as a housewife. You're far too determined to succeed professionally. I just don't want to see you held back from that."

She sighed. Hermione knew that he was absolutely right in all he was saying but she had always believed that any problems in a marriage could be fixed with hard work and determination, like everything else in life. She knew that her marriage needed a lot of work, but it would be worth it if they could be happy again.

"If you're so intent on making it work, have you considered marriage counselling?" Justin asked and she shrugged.

"I've thought about it, but I don't know how receptive he would be of the idea. I guess I really should bring it up, as I can't go on like this." She nodded and he agreed.

Justin left not long after, thanking her for listening and waving off her thanks in return. He was a good friend and she did feel better for having got these secrets off of her chest to somebody. The thought of marriage counselling stayed with her as she cleared the backlog of paperwork on her desk and tidied her office before leaving.

As she pulled into her parking spot and turned off the engine, she tried to imagine how the suggestion of counselling would be received by Ron. She couldn't imagine it ever going smoothly, but maybe he would surprise her and reluctantly accept to try? She snorted at the ludicrous hopeful thought. Of course he wouldn't think it a good idea, he'd be annoyed that she wanted to discuss their marriage with a stranger, air their dirty laundry in public, so to speak. She sighed and collected her handbag from the passenger seat, heading towards the nightmare that she was sure her evening would become.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

"Ron? Could you stay here after dinner please?" She asked hesitantly as she sat opposite him eating dinner and he shook his head.

"Can't," he said around a mouthful of freshly prepared curry, "My favorite programme is on and-"

"This is a little more important than your bloody programme, Ronald." She said, slamming her fork down on the table and huffing as she leaned back in her chair.

"What's so important?" He huffed, not even bothering to slow down the rate at which he was eating.

"I want to try marriage counselling." She told him, closing her eyes against the oncoming change in his mood.

"Fuck off," He grunted, pushing his now empty plate away and standing from the table, "I'm not doing that."

Hermione watched, astonished as he walked away from her and dropped down onto the sofa. She felt a red mist descend over her and her anger rising. How dare he walk away from here when she was trying to discuss something so serious? Was she the only one who wanted to save this marriage? He must have noticed just how miserable this flat was with both of them in it. Surely he couldn't be so oblivious that he managed to ignore what was directly in front of his face!

She picked up the plates and threw them into the sink, not bothering to scrape the leftover debris into the bin as she usually did. She left the kitchen and stomped over to where he was laying on the sofa before snatching the TV remote from where it sat on his enormous stomach and turned the TV off, which kickstarted the argument that she was now very much ready for.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" He shouted, heaving his weight from the sofa and reaching for the remote, which she threw to the other side of the room.

"We were having a conversation, Ronald." She growled as she loomed over where he was still sitting on the sofa, "How dare you walk away from me?"

"If you hadn't made that insane suggestion, I wouldn't have walked away!" He shouted and she crossed her arms over her chest, snorting.

"Of course you would!" She shouted back, "You're more interested in your stupid TV shows than trying to salvage what's left of our damn marriage!"

She sighed and uncrossed her arms as he got up and started towards the kitchen without so much as acknowledging what she had said. She followed him into the kitchen to find his head in the fridge and she growled as she crossed the room slammed the door shut after he pulled out some leftover sausages.

"Stop eating for five seconds and listen to me!" She screeched and Ron laughed.

"I do nothing but listen to you Hermione," he told her and as he spoke she could see the half chewed cold sausages tumbling around in his mouth, "What's wrong with this marriage, anyway?"

"Are you kidding me?" She laughed in shock, "What's right with it?!"

"Look," he sighed, "You're overworked and tired. Just listen to me and quit. We'd be fine if you did."

"Your wages wouldn't cover the electricity bill of this place!" She screamed, "We would be homeless if I quit my job! Are you delusional?"

"Delusional? How dare you? It's a man's job to provide for the family and I will provide!" Ron roared and she slapped her hand to her forehead.

"You earn minimum wage!" She shrieked, "How are you going to support me? Not to mention a child! Children are expensive!"

"My parents had seven and they were fine!" He yelled and she rolled her eyes.

"Your parents got more in benefits than I earn in a year! Their house is paid for by someone else. You're under this ridiculous notion that your parents survived on your dad's low wage, let me tell you they didn't!" She screamed and he shook his head.

"So now you're looking down on my family?!" He asked furiously and she growled.

"This isn't about your damn family. This is about our marriage and the fact that it makes me absolutely bloody miserable! You are not the man I married!" She shrieked and he merely shook his head and walked away.

She didn't bother to follow. It was entirely useless.


	5. Chapter 5

**May 8th 2007**

The rest of April and the start of May passed by in a blur of work days and uncomfortable silences. Ron repeatedly tried to instigate a conversation about children, and Hermione ignored him every time. He couldn't get what she was saying through his dense skull and until he did, there was nothing that needed to be said. Justin had asked her if she'd had any luck with the counselling idea and she had sadly shaken her head before walking away from him. Her marriage was crumbling around her and her desire to save it was rapidly dwindling down to naught.

She was absolutely exhausted of this life. She wanted to go back in time to the point that she agreed marry him, so stupidly, at the ridiculously young age of 18. At that age she had barely known herself, and she obviously hadn't known him. She had believed so foolishly that loving each other would be enough to make a successful marriage, that he would mature at the same rate she did. But the truth was that he had not changed at all from the time when they had wed, and Hermione felt like she had outgrown him.

She awoke this morning to an empty flat, thankful that Ron appeared to be working an early shift at work or else he had seen fit to be elsewhere this morning. As she wasn't needed at work today, seeing as Kingsley was out of the country with his family on a personal holiday for two weeks, she woke up at a leisurely pace and took an extra hot, long shower and dressed in her casual clothes, prepared to go and visit Ginny and her kids.

She drove across London, getting stuck in a traffic jam in the city and ending up sitting stationary for over an hour before she parked on the driveway of her friends house and heard the joyous screams of children originating in, presumably, the back garden of the Grimmauld Place. The house belonged to Harry's uncle, Sirius, who still lived with the family to this day. It had been a regular haunt for Harry, Ron and Hermione in their school days and they would come here during lunchtimes and after school, which they attended right around the corner. She loved this house and had always dreamt of owning one similar. A dream that was slowly being taken away from her by the man she had married.

She climbed out of the car and up the steps, pausing to press the doorbell and smiled at the shouts of 'door, door' from the back garden followed by a gruff shout and footsteps coming closer, before the door swung open revealing a slightly greying man who grinned and pulled her into a tight hug. Sirius was nearing 55, though his greying hair was the only indication of his age. His face was smooth and youthful and his level of maturity would be more appropriate if he were Rons age. In short, Sirius was an immature git, but he had a heart of gold and everyone who met him loved him.

"Hello, kitten!" He exclaimed, pushing her back and holding her by the shoulders, eyes inspecting her. "You look exhausted, PM working you too hard?"

"Oh, Sirius," she chuckled, "As charming as ever! And to answer your question, work is great."

"Problems elsewhere, then?" He asked seriously and she shrugged, removing her light jacket and hanging it by the door with her handbag.

"It's not important," she told him dismissively and he raised his eyebrow but she ignored it, "Ginny in the garden?"

He nodded, frowning at her before she passed him and walked through to the basement kitchen and out into the garden, suddenly finding herself thrown backwards by two children who seemed to come at her from nowhere. She laughed as they babbled at her, talking over one another so that she couldn't stand either one of them.

"Come on boys," she heard Ginny laugh, "Let Auntie 'Mione breathe!"

The boys released her and she was immediately pulled into a hug by her sister-in-law. She loved Ginny, she was straight forward and honest, always giving her true opinion if asked. She knew when to hold back, though, and Hermione appreciated her for it. She had been a year below them in school and had always harboured a crush on Harry, which used to be a source of much amusement to him, but she had blossomed into a beautiful young woman and soon found her feelings returned in abundance. In essence, she and Harry were the perfect example of high school sweethearts who got their happily ever after. Everything that she and Ron weren't.

"We weren't expecting you!" Ginny said as they walked to the table on the patio, "Shouldn't you be at work."

"Kingsley is on holiday with his family for two weeks, which means I'm pretty much free for a while," Hermione shrugged as her niece was pushed into her lap, "Thought I'd come and see how you guys are doing."

"We're great. Harry's at work, so it's just me, Sirius and the kids," she said, smiling at the older man when he handed them each a cup of tea and sat with them, "How are you?"

"I'm ok. Work's been keeping me occupied." She told them and Ginny nodded.

"How's Ron?" Sirius asked, looking at her intently and she looked at the table as she answered.

"He's fine. He's at work this morning." She said before taking a sip of her tea and smiling at him.

Sirius, as wonderful as he is, was nearly impossible to lie to and right now she hated him for it. She knew that he would see right through her and she didn't want to talk to him about her problems with Ron. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, she just didn't want it getting back to Harry how unhappy she was. He would be annoyed that she hadn't confided in him and as understanding as he was, he could be incredibly stubborn and would refuse to believe that she hadn't wanted to put him in the middle of his two best friends. She heard him snort, but thankfully he didn't say anything.

The rest of her morning and the afternoon were spent chasing her nephews around the garden of Grimmauld Place and chatting with Ginny and Sirius when the boys got bored of her. She laughed more in the few hours she was there than she had in the last few months and felt more relaxed than she could remember being in a very long time. It only served to highlight just how bad things had gotten at home for her. When the time came to say goodbye, she only just managed to drive around the corner and park her car, breaking down in tears as she rested her head on the steering wheel, mourning the life she had never had and could never hope to have.


	6. Chapter 6

**June 10th 2007**

Since the day that she had spent with Ginny and Sirius, Hermione had been struggling more than ever with the situation in her home. Ron had been more quiet than usual and on the rare occasion that she tries to instigate a conversation with him he would often outright ignore her or else remain surly and argumentative. He seemed to be begging for a fight at every turn and she was beginning to wonder whether he was in fact trying to sabotage their marriage. It didn't seem likely, but she was struggling to find a reason for his despicable behaviour of late.

It had been a particularly rough day for Hermione so far. Kingsley had awoken her at 2am by calling her at home and insisting she report to Number 10. There had been a threat made against the country that needed to be investigated and dealt with immediately or, according to the threat, a terrorist would do something that would endanger the lives of members of the public. She had arrived in Kingsley's office at 2:30 after hastily dressing and driving through the mostly deserted London. The threat had been cleared at lunchtime, but she had needed to remain at Number 10 to prepare a report and a press release, which resulted in her not getting back in her car until 7pm. At 8pm, after being stuck in traffic for far too long and almost falling asleep at the wheel, thankfully while the car was stationary.

As if just to tip her over the edge of her loosely held grip on her sanity today, she had now opened the front door into their flat to find what appeared to be the attempted recreation of a disaster movie. There were shattered remains of glass and China all over the floor and her mother's favorite vase, that had been passed to Hermione on her wedding day and remained in pride of place on their mantelpiece ever since, was broken into at least 6 pieces on the rules hearth of the fire. What appeared to be red wine, or at least she hoped it was, was spilled all over her white wool rug and the cream sofa. In short, they had either been robbed or a very specific hurricane had seen fit to target their flat. Worst of all was her husband, passed out and snoring on the sofa with a bottle of whiskey held loosely in his hand as it hung off the edge of the sofa.

The anger and frustration that had been threatening to hit her all day broke loose with a scream that could have woken the dead, but apparently not her ridiculous slob of a husband. She crossed into the kitchen and filled a pint glass with the coldest water she could manage, went back into the living room, standing above him. The she promptly threw the water in his face.

"What the fuck!" Ron screamed, slurring his words slightly.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear, were you sleeping?" She asked innocently with an eerie smile on her face as she held up the glass for him to see, "Were you having a nice nap, Ronald?"

"You fucking b-"

"Would you kindly tell me," she growled, dropping the smile and her voice rose as she continued, "What the bloody hell happened to my flat!?"

"Your flat?!" He yelled, "This is our flat!"

"Oh and what exactly do you pay for, hmm?" She asked, "The rent? Nope, that's me. The bills? Oh, wait, that's all me! The food shopping? Hmm, let me think. Oh yeah it's me!"

"I pay for stuff." He grunted and she laughed maniacally.

"Booze and take aways don't count!" She yelled, "When was the last time you bought anything even remotely useful?"

"I bought the replacement cooker." He told her, jabbing his finger towards the kitchen.

"Using MY credit card!" She reminded him, "Your name might be on the rental agreement just as much as mine, but let's face it, your pathetic job can't support your drinking habit, letalone our home!"

Hermione stumbled backwards as she felt her throat become restricted by his large hand, pushing her against the front door. In all their years of knowing one another he had never known Ron to be particularly violent and had never once been scared of him, but at the moment his face was truly deranged. She fumbled in her pocket and felt for her phone, pressing one of the speed dial buttons, holding it until she hoped the call had gone through. When Ron spoke, she felt droplets of saliva hit her face and his breath assaulted her senses, reeking of whiskey.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that!" He snarled and as his hand tightened, she felt her feet leave the floor.

Panicking, she lifted her knee blindly as hard as she could and hoped that it would reach it's mark and, judging by the sudden drop she felt and the ability to breathe returning to her, it had worked. Ron had bent over, clutching his groin as he grimaced in pain and Hermione took her chance. She snatched her handbag from where she had dropped it when she came in and fled from her own flat, forgoing the lifts and running down the stairs to the parking garage. She frantically pressed the unlock button on the fob and sobbed in relief when the click sounded. Throwing open the car door, she threw herself into the drivers seat and pressed the button that locked all the doors before pulling her phone from her pocket and lifting it to her ear. She was met with Sirius shouting her name, frantic.

"Hermione? Kitten? You there?" He asked, breathing heavily and Hermione choked on a sob.

"Sirius... Ron, he's… Really drunk and…" she stammered, struggling to breathe when she looked in the rear view mirror and saw an angry red mark around her neck.

"What did he do, Hermione?" Sirius asked, barely masking his rage.

"He… Hands on me…" she bit out and she heard him growl.

"He put his damn hands on you?" He asked and she hummed in response. Sirius sighed, "Alright, kitten, where are you?"

"I'm in my car." She sniffled and heard him shouting to Harry that he was going out.

"Stay there, I'll be there as quick as I can. I'm taking the bike so I won't be long." He said and the phone line clicked off.

Hermione broke down and sobbed, thankful that Sirius was coming but utterly shocked and mortified that she had needed to call for help against her own husband. She had no idea if Ron was still in the flat or what he was doing up there. She didn't even know if he knew what he'd done. Judging by the way his breath smelled, he had consumed an insane amount of whiskey. She dropped her forehead onto the steering wheel and waited for Sirius to arrive, unable to avoid the feeling that the end of her marriage had arrived.


	7. Chapter 7

**June 10th 2007, cont.**

Hermione had no idea how long she had been sitting in her car, her head bent forward and resting on the steering wheel. Her mind was completely unfocused and she couldn't concentrate on anything except trying to keep her breathing steady. She knew that if she stopped focusing on the controlled inhale/exhale pattern, her mind would drift to the events of the evening and her panic would resurface. Her tears had stopped shortly after her call with Sirius and had been trying to calm down since.

Her effort was knocked back some when a loud knock sounded on the passenger side window of her car, causing her to very nearly smack her head on the roof of her car as she jumped in fright. She turned to the window and found Sirius peering in at her, concern clearly written over his face. With shaking fingers she pressed the button to unlock the door and listened as he got in and turned in the seat to face her, his eyes drifting down to her neck. He gasped, and Hermione assumed she had seen the bruise that had begun to form.

"Come here," he said, opening his arms for her and gesturing for her to come in, which she gladly did, "Jesus Hermione, you scared the shit out of me with that phonecall."

"I'm sorry. I just… I was scared and I had to try and speed dial someone, it just happened that I pressed your button." She told him and he nodded before pushing her away and putting a hand under her chin and tilting her head to get a better look.

"What happened?" He asked, letting her go.

"I have no idea, Sirius," She shrugged, "I came home from work at about half seven to find that my flat had been trashed and Ron was passed out drunk. So I threw water at him, and he woke up and we got into an argument and I said something that annoyed him and…"

"Do not blame yourself, got it? Whatever you might have said or done, doesn't give anybody the right to lay their hands on you." He told her sternly and she nodded.

"I told him his job was pathetic." She murmured and he nodded.

"It is pathetic." He agreed. "What do you want to do?"

She took pause at his question as her brain stalled and she found herself stuck. What exactly did she want to do? She found that her brain, with its talent for logical thinking was telling her that this was the end. Her marriage was over and this was the last sign she needed in order to break away and start again. But her heart… She kept hearing her mother's voice, repeating the words she had said on Hermione's wedding day. 'Marriage is for life, Hermione, there's no going back from this', she had said and Hermione, as young and inexperienced as she was at the age of eighteen had told her that she knew what she was doing and til death do us part was the best thing for them. Her heart, and her mother's words, beat her logical brain in submission.

"I need to go back up to my flat, but…" she trailed off when Sirius snorted, frowning at her.

"You can't be serious, Hermione! Look what he's done!" He snapped and she nodded.

"I know, Sirius, but I think he'd drunk enough whiskey to knock a normal person out of commission for a long time. I'm not excusing it but I can forgive a drunken mistake." She said and he groaned, running his stubbled face in his hands.

"Oh for the love of... Fine. But on two conditions." He sighed, turning to her and shaking his head in resignation as she nodded, "First, I come up with you, just in case?" She nodded, " Secondly, the first time that anything like this even looks like it might happen, I'm dragging you out of here and I will lock you in the basement in mine if I have to. Got it?"

"Got it." She muttered, sighing as she opened her door and stepped out, seeing his head appear above the car as he did the same, "Just… Try and keep calm?"

"Yeah," he snorted, rolling his eyes as she glared at him, "Fine, fine. I can do calm."

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

The flat was still littered with debris and broken pieces of kitchenware when they opened the front door to the flat, Sirius insisting that he enter first and gasping audibly when he did so. She stepped past him and sighed, knowing that this would take her most of the night to clean and looked wearily as Sirius before walking towards the bedroom, him following closely behind her. Ron was sitting on the edge of the bed and he looked up at her, his eyes filled with tears as she hesitantly entered the room. His eyes shifted to look over her shoulder and he frowned at the sight of Sirius.

"Hermione, I am s-"

"I don't want to hear apologies, Ron." She sighed, shaking her head, "I want you to hear me when I speak and promise to think about what I say, can you do that?"

He nodded and Hermione turned to Sirius, asking if he wouldn't mind waiting in the living room while they talked. He was extremely hesitant, and she saw his eyes flick between her and Ron but she nodded and told him that the door would be wide open and she would shout if she needed him. He had sighed and left, leaving the married couple alone. Hermione pulled the leather stool from under her dressing table and sat down about six feet away from Ron, between him and the door, leaving enough space so that if he happened to lunge for her again, she would be able to escape the room very quickly. She sighed before she began to speak.

"This marriage is falling apart," She said and watched as he nodded, resignedly, "But I don't want to give up on it, on us."

"You don't?" He gasped, his head lifting to look at her with wide, hopeful eyes and she shook her head.

"Of course not. I made my vows to you, Ronald. But I can't fix this," she waved her hand between them, "On my own, do you understand? I need help, and you need to make some changes."

"I know," he nodded, "I do want this to work, 'Mione. What do I need to do?"

"You need to stop pressuring me to quit my job, for one thing." She said, "You know I love my job, and I'm not willing to give it up. Not only does it support the both of us and keep us clothed and housed, it makes me happy."

"Ok." He sighed, "I'll try. I just… Really want to start a family."

"I know you do," she said, watching as he hung his head, "But would you consider being a stay at home dad?"

"I... I don't know. I'll think about it?" He offered and she nodded, thankful for small mercies.

"That's all I ask. Second, you need to help me at home. My job is so demanding, I can't carry on making all the meals and doing all the housework, Ron. It's exhausting me. I need help."

"I can do that." He nodded and she smiled weakly at him, wondering how he would take the next suggestion.

"You need to curb your eating habits." She blurted and he frowned up at her.

"What?" He gasped.

"Our food bills are sky high and you are literally always eating. You have gained so much weight, Ron. How can you be happy like that?" She asked and he shrugged.

"I've always loved food, but I know you're right, I guess. I will try." He said and she nodded, sighing.

"Right, come and help clean up the mess in the living room, which you can explain to me later by the way, and then I need to go to bed. I've been awake since two am and I am so exhausted." She sighed and he nodded, following her from the room.

Sirius stayed long enough to make sure that Ron was no longer likely to lash out at Hermione before he reluctantly left them to tidy their lounge. She had been surprised to see that he had made a start of tidying up, but there was a long way to go still. He'd made Hermione promise that if anything happened, she would call him immediately and she had agreed. She didn't get to sleep until 2am, a full 24 hours after she had been awoken by Kingsley.


	8. Chapter 8

**July 25th 2007**

Between the night of the argument and now, things had actually been going ok for Hermione and Ron. He seemed to have taken her needs to heart and was delighted to come home from work on at least four occasions in the last month and a half to find him serving up dinner. The meals had been almost entirely inedible, as Ron had never cooked before in his life, but she appreciated the effort and made sure to tell him so. The flat was also kept more or less tidy and he was helping with the housework. It wasn't perfect and she was still struggling, but it was an improvement and she was glad of it.

Tonight they were at the Weasley home for dinner, one cooked to perfection by someone other than Hermione, for which she was extremely grateful. The entire family was over at the cramped house, including Sirius, who kept shooting her inquisitive glances over the food, to which she always gave a smile or a subtle nod. The atmosphere was noisy and hectic, which did not serve in any way to help Hermione to relax. She had enough noise and madness every day at Number 10.

To her dismay, as soon as Ron had entered the house behind her, he had been handed a rather large glass of whiskey which never seemed to empty though she saw him regularly drink from it. They were just finishing up their main course when Ron began talking over loudly with his brother, George, and she frowned when she heard her name pop up in their conversation. The two brothers were well on their way to passing out with drink and they didn't notice as the noise level dropped around them and their conversation continued as it had been.

"…and we haven't had sex in months, mate! Dunno what's wrong with her it's like her legs are glued sh-"

"Ron!" Molly gasped at her son's words, glancing over at Hermione who could feel that her face had flushed and the stinging in her eyes told her tears were not far from falling.

"Well I'm a married man, mum! Shouldn't I be getting laid regularly?" He slurred and even George gasped at him now, probably shocked that he dared talk this way in front of their mum.

"That's enough, Ron." Harry hissed, looking thoroughly ashamed by his brother-in-law, who just snorted and pointed at him.

"Mate, I wouldn't expect you to understand," he spat out, "You shag like rabbits, you and my sister."

"Ronald Weasley!" Molly shrieked, and his eyes widened at his mum's raised voice. "That is enough! You shut your mouth and keep it shut, is that understood?"

Hermione didn't hear Ron's response as she pushed her chair back from the table and pushed down past the people sitting on the same side as her, through into the living room and out of the sliding patio doors that led into the garden. She couldn't hear what was going on inside, which she felt incredibly lucky for as she dropped onto a low planter box and covered her face with her hands. She was alone for a few minutes when she heard the patio door closed and looked up to find Sirius stood, looking carefully at her. She shrugged defeatedly and he sighed as he dropped down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders.

"That was awkward." She muttered and he nodded his head as he snorted.

"That's one word for it," he sighed, "Are you ever going to talk to me about what's going on between the pair of you?"

"I really don't want to talk about it. Not right now." She said, shaking her head. "I honestly thought that things were getting better, you know? He cooked dinner four times in the last month and now…"

"Four times in a month?" He asked and she nodded, "That boy is an idiot."

"He is trying, Sirius." She said, automatically defending him as she had always done.

"He should always have been trying! That's what a relationship is!" He snapped and she shrugged before standing up. "You are miserable, Hermione, you think I can't see it?"

"I am," she admitted quietly as she walked to the door, turning back to him before she stepped inside, "But I'm not giving up. Not yet."

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

The rest of dinner had been eaten in awkward silence and Hermione was immensely grateful when the family began to say their goodbyes and leave for their own homes. Molly had given her an extra long hug and apologised for her son's behaviour, but Hermione had shrugged it off and told her not to worry about it. The drive home had been almost painful in its silence. She could feel Rons eyes burning into her skull almost all the way back to their flat, but she had studiously kept her eyes glued to the road, refusing to even look at him. Once they were back inside their flat, though, she turned to look at him.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She hissed as he lay down on the sofa and covered his eyes with his arm. "How dare you embarrass me like that?"

"It was true, though," He shrugged, uncovering his eyes and pushing himself into a sitting position, "We don't have sex at all any more, or even cuddle. What's your problem?"

"Ron…" she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, "In all honesty, you are my problem. You are hugely overweight and sweaty, your bathing habits leave much to be desired and quite frankly the thought of having you anywhere near me when you smell like a locker room in a gym is disgusting!"

Her voice had risen in volume throughout her tirade and when she finished speaking he looked at her, his eyes wide and the hurt evident in them. She had never mentioned his weight gain, and had never intended for it to come out in such a hurtful way, but she had been pretending everything was ok for far too long and his ludicrous behaviour at dinner had pushed her to her brutal honesty.

"You're not attracted to me?" He asked, shocked and she shook her head.

"No, Ron." She admitted and he gasped before flopping back down on the sofa and Hermione heard the door groan under his weight.

She tried to get him to talk to her but any attempts she made only resulted in him shaking his head and turning away from her. She knew that she had hurt him, but she hoped that the brutal truth would perhaps be the kick up the backside he needed in order to make a change in his life. She eventually left him to sulk in peace and collapsed onto the bed, and stared blankly up at the ceiling, wondering whether she could even be bothered to fight for this marriage any longer. Perhaps the time had come to admit defeat and accept that it was over, once and for all. She fell asleep there, in the middle of the bed, thinking that tomorrow she would make a start at finding a divorce lawyer.


	9. Chapter 9

**August 3rd 2007**

Her hunt for a divorce lawyer that would be discreet, due to her job title, had been completely fruitless. Not because they might talk too freely about her situation, but because she couldn't find a lawyer who would be able to meet with her outside of office hours. It appeared that every lawyer in London was intent on working a strict 9 to 5 Monday to Friday job, which was no good to Hermione, as those were pretty much required hours for her. She had even resorted to asking Justin who his wife had used, but that had proven to be a dead end as the lawyer worked in Scotland, where Justin stayed at the weekends and she couldn't possibly travel to Scotland just for a lawyer.

The last week had been a complete nightmare in the flat. Ron had refused to say even one word to her and she hadn't bothered to try and instigate a conversation. It was almost as if when she walked in the room, he walked out of it and vice versa. They were no longer sharing their bed and Ron had been sleeping on the sofa, but this didn't cause concern for Hermione. If anything, her sleep quality had improved immensely as she no longer believed she would be pushed out of bed when he rolled over in his sleep, or had to fight for the covers that he hogged. It was peaceful, and she found herself enjoying it hugely.

Hermione was currently in her car, gazing up at the front of Grimmauld Place, trying to find the courage to bare all to Sirius. She had decided that he would be the first one she would tell of her decision to file for divorce, as he already knew some of what had happened and she knew he had told no-one else. She trusted him, and she could use his almost fatherly advice. She snorted at that very bizarre thought - Sirius and fatherly were two words that should never appear in the same sentence, but yet there they were.

She sighed and opened her car door, climbed out and locked it before she headed up the steps to ring the doorbell. There were no shouts from the back garden today, for which Hermione was grateful, though she had expected as such when she found the driveway of the house free of both Harry's and Ginny's cars. Just as she was about to give up, thinking that perhaps Sirius was out of the house, she heard the latch clatter against the door and it was pulled open to reveal Sirius, looking very relaxed in his swim shorts. Just his swim shorts.

She yelped as he pulled her into a hug and pushed away from him, screeching for him to put some clothes on so she didn't feel like she was seeing her dad naked, and was relieved when he disappeared and returned wearing a tshirt, as well as his shorts. It wasn't as though she couldn't see him as attractive, she actually found him rather ruggedly handsome, but it was the same kind of knowledge as knowing your brother is attractive to the opposite sex yet knowing that if you found yourself feeling attracted to them, then you were in serious need of therapy. She had known Sirius for far too long and far too well for him to be appealing to her in that way. Too much like family, and she found no appeal in incest, metaphorical or not.

"I think I'm ready to talk about… Well, everything." She told him and he frowned but nodded.

"Uh… ok. Will this require a cuppa, or something stronger perhaps?" He asked and Hermione laughed.

"Stronger. Definitely stronger." She said and Sirius nodded, leading her down into the kitchen and seating her at the table before going into the pantry and returning with a bottle of strong scotch.

"Glasses?" He asked and she shook her head.

"Straight from the bottle is fine," she sighed, unscrewing the lid and taking a mouthful, "I'm filing for divorce."

"Bloody hell!" Sirius shouted, choking on his mouthful of the whiskey, "a bit of warning would have been nice."

"Sorry," She grinned, not sorry at all, "Do you want me to tell you what's been going on?"

He nodded and Hermione proceeded to divulge the full events of the decline of her marriage to Ron. She told him the small things, like empty wrappers and bottles left laying around and how his bathing habits left much to be desired. She disclosed the argument about quitting her job, at which point he made her promise that she wouldn't. About how she paid for everything in their lives and he contributed nothing to the monthly expenses. She revealed the truth about why they didn't have sex any more and sadly admitted that she regretted marrying Ron in the first place. At the end of her explanation, Sirius was appalled by Rons behaviour and shocked that she had remained unhappy for such a long time. When he told her so, she shrugged.

"I was always told that marriage is for life. That there was no giving up." She said and he snorted.

"If I ended up with the person I was with at 18 forever, I fear I might have ended up being sectioned under the mental health act." He laughed.

"I just can't do it any more Sirius. I've tried for so long and nothing ever changes." She sighed and he reached over to pat her hand.

"Trust me, you're making the best decision for yourself." He said and she nodded.

"Hopefully," she sighed, "The only problem is, I can't find a divorce lawyer that will meet with me outside of office hours. I must have called dozens but none will agree."

"I might have a solution to your problem, kitten." He grinned and Hermione frowned at him as he pulled out his phone, pressed some buttons and held it to his ear.

"Hello mate!…Yeah I'm really good, how are you and Teddy?…Well I've got a friend in need of your expertise…She can't meet during office hours…Yeah i know…No I didn't know that...Shes a, uh, government official…Yeah something like that...Alright…" He covered the mouthpiece and apologised but she shook her head, "Oh he is growing fast!…Yeah I can do that...No thats ok…Yeah will do…Thanks...Yeah alright…Bye Remus!"

"Problem solved." He winked as he pushed his phone back into his pocket.

"Uh… Explain?" She asked, utterly confused by what had just transpired and he sighed.

"My old school pal Remus is a lawyer who specialises in divorce cases." He said and she gasped, breaking into a huge grin, "Come by here tomorrow after work and we'll drive to his place together."

"His house?" She asked with a frown and he nodded.

"He works from home, because of his son. You'll meet him tomorrow, I assume."


	10. Chapter 10

**August 4th 2007**

As promised, Hermione drove straight to Grimmauld Place after work the next day, nervous and full of anticipation. She had been an odd mix of excited and scared all day and she hoped that this meeting ended with a successful outcome. She beeped her horn as she pulled up outside the house and flipped down her sun visor, checking her make up in the mirror. She groaned as she found her eyeliner smudged and her lipstick completely worn off. Leaning into the passenger footwell, she rummaged around in her handbag until she pulled out her make up bag, just finishing her touch ups as Sirius opened the door and got into the passenger seat and clipped his seatbelt in.

"You ready?" He asked, smiling over at her and she nodded as she flipped the visor back up and set off.

"Think so." She told him, "Directions?"

"Go as though you're going to your apartment, I'll tell you when to turn," he instructed, "How was work?"

"Busy," she groaned, braking as they ran into traffic, "Kingsley is preparing to go on a visit to the US, and as usual I'm in charge of liasing with the White House to make sure all the arrangements are being made. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but the Americans can be a bit…"

"Excitable?" He suggested and she laughed, nodding as she accelerated again.

"Well I was going more for annoying, but your idea works too, I suppose." She grinned, turning left and onto a wide stretch of dual carriageway.

"You need to come off at the next junction," he said quickly and she nodded, changing lanes, "I can't believe Ron wanted you to quit your job. Everyone who knows you can see how much you love it."

"I know," she agreed as she exited the dual carriageway, "He wanted me to be a stay at home mum. Which way?"

"Third exit," he said, pointing right, "I can't imagine anything worse for you, to be honest."

"Its not that I don't want kids," she said as she navigated the roundabout and turned into a residential street, "I would love to, but I want to work as well, you know?"

"Trust me, I know. You want the third left," he told her and she nodded, counting the streets as she passed, "You'd be bored out of your mind at home all day."

"Exactly!" She exclaimed, turning left and finding herself amongst some large Victorian villa style houses, "Ron just doesn't seem to understand why I want to work."

"Its the house with the blue door, look, right there." He told her

She followed where he pointed to find a beautiful white rendered, two storey house with a black roof and guttering. It had obviously been extensively modernised and she immediately knee, somehow, that it would be immaculate inside. She pulled into the driveway and parked next to a black range rover before shutting off the engine and turning to Sirius.

"This guy, Remus, he's not an arsehole, right?" She asked and Sirius burst out laughing as he shook his head.

"If I tell you that he once nursed a badger back to health in his spare room because he felt bad when he hit it with his car, will it put your mind at rest?" He asked amusedly and she found herself grinning.

"Absolutely!" She chuckled and opened her door, climbing out.

She watched as he got out and went to the front door, pressing the bell as she locked the car and walked over to him. Just as she stopped, the door was pulled open to reveal a man who, though she assumed them to be of a similar age, looked at least 10 years younger than even Sirius. If forced to guess, she would have placed him at around 30, maybe 35. His eyes were a brilliant shade of amber and his hair, which flopped around his head, was a sandy brown. He was dressed casually, which she hadn't been expecting, in a red shirt that had the sleeves rolled up and a pair of straight jeans. Hermione couldn't help the instant attraction she felt for this man, but shook the thoughts off, hoping to come across as professional and shook his hand when he offered it.

"Nice to meet you," she smiled, "I'm Hermione."

"Remus," he said in a surprisingly soothing voice, "Come in, excuse the mess, my son is on a bit of a rampage with one of his friends."

Hermione grinned and followed Sirius into the house, wiping her feet on the welcome mat and her mouth almost dropped open at the wonderful interior of the house. She could only see into one room from where she was standing and the walls were painted a deep burgundy colour. She assumed it was the living room as there was a large flat screen TV on the wall, playing children's programmes to the empty room. What drew her gaze most of all though was the wall of bookshelves on the farthest wall. Just as she was about to compliment him on his home, she was suddenly thrown off balance as something ran into her and found herself caught by a pair of strong arms.

"Teddy!" Remus shouted as he helped Hermione back to her feet and withdrew his arms. "Come here and apologise right now!"

"Sorry, miss." Said a small boy who poked his head sheepishly around the living room door. Hermione couldn't help but laugh.

"That's alright, no harm done." She smiled and the boy grinned at her before disappearing back into the living room.

"That boy…" Remus groaned, but Hermione could see undeniable love in his eyes as he rolled them, "Shall we go and discuss your case in the kitchen?"

Hermione nodded and followed him into the kitchen, frowning when she realised they were alone.

"Where did Sirius go?" She asked and he chuckled, shaking his head.

"Probably raising hell with my son," he laughed, "Would you like a cup of tea, Hermione?"

"Oh, yes please, that would be lovely, thank you." She said, suppressing a shiver at the way he said her name.

Jesus Christ she really needed to get a grip. The last thing she needed right now was to develop an unhealthy attraction to the man who would be helping her divorce her husband! That was like the plot from one of those ridiculous soaps that she avoided like the plague! And yet… She watched as he moved around the kitchen, pulling cups and other things out of cupboards. The muscles of his back were clearly evident beneath his shirt and she watched as the rippled with his movements. As he turned back to her, she fought off a blush and smiled at him as he pulled out a chair at the large kitchen table and indicated for her to do the same. Once they were comfortable, he pulled a notebook and pen in front of him and looked up at her.

"So you want to divorce your husband?" He asked and she nodded, frowning.

"It's not like I haven't tried to make it work," she told him, defending herself, "I have been trying for a long time but we are complete opposites and totally incompatible, do you know what I mean?"

"Of course," he nodded, "Let me guess, you're ambitious and he is happy to live a mediocre life. You're tidy and organised and he is lazy."

"You've been talking to Sirius, haven't you?" She snorted, raising an eyebrow at him and he nodded, grinning.

"Of course. He is very happy that you are doing this. He says you have been miserable for some time?" He asked gently and she sighed.

"I have, but I hoped it would pass." She admitted.

"They sometimes do, but seeing as you're here, I would guess nothing has changed?" He asked and Hermione shook her head.

"Nothing. If anything it's only getting worse." She told him.

When he asked her to describe in detail the state of the marriage, she told him everything, withholding nothing. He seemed shocked, but wrote down everything she said and nodded at the correct times. When they were done, he refilled their cups of tea and they discussed living arrangements.

"I would suggest that you sign your current flat over to him and seek alternative accomodation. He won't be able to afford the cost of it, but he has a month before he needs to be out, giving him time to find elsewhere," he advised and she nodded, "whereas you, I assume, would have no trouble when it came to credit checks and such, to find a new flat?"

"No, I've always made sure that my credit score is high." She smiled and he nodded.

Sirius re-entered the room and was informed of what they had discussed. Remus asked him if he would be able to help her find a new flat, as her working hours were very demanding and Sirius, who didn't work, had plenty of free time for flat hunting. He had agreed, though promised that all decisions would be made by Hermione, for which she was grateful. They had arrived here at just after 5pm and by the time it came to say their goodbyes, it was last 9pm. In an odd way, Hermione had enjoyed the evening very much and found herself feeling very glad that she had chosen to meet with Remus. She also found herself excited to meet him again, and when she gave him her phone number before they left, butterflies formed in her stomach when he said he would text her when they needed to talk, hoping that the need arose sooner rather than later.


	11. Chapter 11

**August 14th 2007**

Hermione was sitting in her office at Number 10, working through a pile of paperwork ready for Kingsley to fly out to America the next day, when her phone buzzed in her handbag, going unnoticed as it was programmed to vibrate only. She finished up the paperwork and collected it together before heading out of her office and down the hall to Kingsley's. Knocking on his door, she heard in call out for her to enter and pushed it open, peeking her head in to check it was a good time. Finding the office empty except for the PM, she stepped in and closed the door behind her.

"The paperwork for your visit, Kingsley." She smiled, handing it over his desk and taking a seat in the chair facing him. "I've just received confirmation from the Presidents Secretary, you will be staying in the guest suite in the White House."

"Very good," he nodded, smiling, "Thank you for your hard work, Hermione. What are your plans while I am overseas?"

"Hopefully, filing for divorce." She said and he gasped.

She had been progressively more open over the last few days since her first meeting with Remus. She wanted people to know, if only so she had people around her who would understand if she was having a stressful or hard day. She expected a few emotional days to come, after all they had been together for over a decade, it was a very long time to spend with someone and years of love before that as best friends couldn't be erased by a tough marriage. She hoped that they would be able to rebuild a friendship once their marriage ended, but she knew that would take a long time.

"I see," Kingsley said, "Are you ok?"

"I'm upset of course, that my marriage is over," she admitted, "But we haven't been a true married couple for a long time so this has been a long time coming."

"If you need any support, you know my door is open to you." Kingsley reminded her and she nodded.

"Of course," she agreed, "Now, I will be available if needed, on my mobile number, but I was hoping to use these two weeks away from the office?"

"Of course, Hermione," he smiled kindly, "Take all the time you need."

She thanked him and left his office, returning to her own and pulling her lunch from her bag, hoping for a few minutes peace to eat it. As she took a bite, savouring the flavour of the chicken and bacon pasta, she pulled out her phone and groaned as she noticed a text message notification on her lock screen. She unlocked the BlackBerry and flicked to her messages and frowned at the unrecognised number that came up. Her frown soon turned into a smile and butterflies in her stomach when she saw who the message was from.

 _Hey Hermione, it's Remus. I was hoping you would be free to come by my house this evening? I have something to discuss with you. Let me know._

She grinned at the thought of spending some time with him, then shook her head at the ridiculousness of such thoughts. She must be losing her mind, her being attracted to him did not change the fact that she was currently paying him to help her divorce her husband and she definitely shouldn't be excited at being invited to her home. She reminded herself that he worked from home, that was his office and this would be a professional meeting. Sighing, she entered her reply.

 _Of course. I should make it there by 5pm_.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

The rest of the day at work had been quiet and Kingsley had entered her office at 2pm, telling her that she wouldn't be needed and she may as well go home early and begin her break. She had thanked him and wished him luck on his visit to the US, reminding him that she could still be contacted if needed before packing up her belongings and exiting to her car. She decided to head to Remus' early on the off chance that he would be in but when she arrived, thankfully having remembered the way, the driveway was devoid of what she assumed to be his range rover. She flicked off the engine but left the radio on, turning up the volume when a song came on that she particularly liked and pulled out her phone. Sending a text to Remus to say that she was here and apologising for being early, she contented herself with singing along to the songs on the radio.

Halfway through the third song, the range rover pulled in beside her car and she pulled the keys out of the ignition before grabbing her handbag and stepping out of the car. He got out of his and smiled at her, gesturing for him to follow her into the house as he unlocked the front door. She stepped in and wiped her feet as remus removed his shoes and put them into the cupboard by the door.

"I hope I didn't disturb your afternoon." She told him and he shook his head.

"I was at the skate park with Teddy," he smiled, "Honestly I'm glad of the excuse to escape."

"You skate?" She chuckled and he snorted.

"Lord no!" He exclaimed, walking into the kitchen and gesturing for her to follow, "Teddy is obsessed with his skateboard right now. I left him with his friend and his parents, they will drop him back when he gets bored."

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to drag you away from your son." She told him as she watched him making a cup of tea.

"No it's fine, the skate park give me a headache, anyway, and I doubt he'll notice I'm gone," he grinned, handing her the cup, "Let's go through to the living room, it's much more comfortable in there."

She nodded and followed him into the hallway and then into the burgundy living room. He sat down on the sofa and she decided that it would be best to sit away from him on one of the armchairs, and she came to be perched stiffly on the edge as they sipped their tea for a few moments. She watched as he put his cup on the coffee table and leaned his elbows on his knees, turning towards her.

"I've spoken to Sirius." He said and she groaned.

Sirius, it appeared, had been an awful choice as someone to help find her a new apartment. He had shown her the adverts for a few different ones so far and they were all either wildly out of her preferred price range or else cheaper but in horrific, undesirable areas of London. It seemed to Hermione that he was incapable of finding anything between the two and she was planning to use at least part of the next two weeks to find somewhere herself. Remus, apparently, agreed with her opinion of his house hunting skills as he laughed.

"He tells me that nothing he has found is to your liking?" He asked with his brow raised and she rolled her eyes.

"Its not that I don't like them, he just seems to go for the best or the worst." She told him, spreading her hands to show the two ends of the scale before closing the distant slightly in the middle, "I was aiming more for here."

"I know, Hermione," he chuckled, "In hindsight, Sirius may not have been the best choice to help. But I may have a solution to your problem."

"Oh?" Hermione asked, intrigued, and Remus nodded.

"You see that house across the road?" He asked, gesturing to the window and pointing across to what appeared to be the shabbiest house in the street, "It was my mothers. She died just over a year ago and it has been sitting empty since. If you would like to rent it from me, I would be more than willing to accept."

Hermione gasped and got up from her chair, moving to stand in front of the window and looking across the street to the house. It was smaller than Remus', probably only two bedrooms and had obviously been built in the thirties, judging by the archway around the porch. There was a double story bay window and the front garden appeared wildly overgrown but she could see that it would be lovely with a little care and attention. Turning back to Remus, she frowned.

"Remus, I couldn't possibly-"

"Nonsense," he said, coming to stand next to her and holding some keys up in front of her, "I would expect a small rent, on the condition that you agree to refresh and care for the house."

"Decorating and such?" She asked, looking at the keys and then back at his face when he nodded, "Could I see inside?"


	12. Chapter 12

**August 14th 2007 cont.**

The house was indeed tired and obviously had not been lived in for some time. The air was musty and stale and she watched as Remus threw open as many windows as he could to draw some fresh air inside. There was no furniture in the house, but she could tell that Remus' mother had been a smoker as the walls were yellowed, except for where the clear outline of previously hung photos or paintings could be seen, white against the nicotine stained wallpaper. The carpet was stereotypical of the seventies, giving her a headache with it's busy floral pattern.

The kitchen had been knocked through into the dining room at some point and was accessed from the living room through a pair of double doors. She could see that it had been modernised at some point with country style cupboards and a wooden countertop. After a good, thorough clean it would be a lovely kitchen. She could see the garden from the windows and noticed that it had been left to become massively overgrown.

The upstairs held two bedrooms, including a large master and a good sized bathroom, with seperate bath and shower. It definitely wasn't her dream home, but she could see that with a little hard work and a fresh coat of paint, it would be rather lovely. Remus had told her he would want only £500 pounds a month, a ridiculously low price for it's area and Hermione knew that she would not find a better property any time soon.

"I'd love to live here." She smiled and he grinned. "I can only see one problem."

"What's that?" He asked, frowning.

"I have got no idea what I'm doing in a garden." She grimaced and Remus laughed.

"I'd be happy to help with the outside, I rather enjoy gardening." He told her and she nodded.

"That could work."

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

After signing a contract with Remus and agreeing to move into the house in the next few days, Hermione had driven to a nearby storage center to get some cardboard boxes and bubble wrap before driving back to the flat. Ron wasn't in when she entered and she assumed he was at work as she built up a few boxes and began packing. She started with her books on the shelves in the living room and was just moving on to the second box when the door opened behind her and she turned as it closed, finding Ron frowning as he looked around the boxes and newly emptied shelves.

"What are you doing?" He asked and she sighed as she moved a box and sat on the sofa.

"I'm moving out." She told him and heard him gasp, "You can't tell me you didn't see this coming, Ron."

"Well I thought it might," He sighed as he sat next to her on the sofa, "Didn't mean I wanted it to, though."

"I know. I didn't either." She said, glad that he was surprisingly calm, "Can we talk?"

"I suppose we have to, don't we?" He snorted, gesturing the boxes with his hands and she smiled at him. "You're divorcing me, aren't you?"

"Yes," she winced, nodding, "I'm really sorry, Ron."

"Like you said, I can't say I didn't see it coming, can I?" He said sadly, turning to look at her, "What happened to us 'Mione? We used to be so… Good."

"We did," she nodded, "I think we married too young. We were 18 when we said our I do's. We were still children. Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," Ron shrugged, "May as well be completely honest with each other, right?"

"We should have been all along," she sighed, "Why rid you ask me to marry you so soon after school?"

"Uh…" Ron frowned, looking conflicted, "Well, my mum really wanted me to and we were in love. It seemed the right thing to do, I guess."

"But if you hadn't been pressured, you would have waited?" She asked and he paused before nodding.

"I always wondered why we didn't wait until after you finished uni, you know?" He asked and Hermione nodded in complete agreement, "Like you said, we were still kids. Too young to be making life changing decisions. I never thought we'd end up here though."

"Neither did I," she sighed, "It's not that I don't love you, Ron, because I really do. I just don't think we're supposed to spend the rest of our lives together."

"I guess I can see where you're coming from. I can't say I'm not upset that this is ending but I'm not… Heartbroken. Should I be?" He asked with a frown that made him look so much like the confused kid she had first met that she had to laugh.

"If it's any consolation, I'm not either. I think this has been coming for a long time." She told him and he nodded.

"Alright… Well, want to crack out some whiskey and have a packing party?" He asked with a hesitant smile and Hermione grinned as she nodded.

They talked as they drank and packed, gradually opening up about their issues and what had caused their marriage to fall apart. Hermione was surprised by some of the revelations that Ron made and some of them left her feeling quite guilty. He confided that his weight gain was down to comfort eating, due to him feeling quite lonely while she was away at uni and then working such long hours and she had apologised profusely, which he waved off. He said it wasn't her fault, just his way of coping and she had nodded, though still feeling bad. Their talk had slowly turned from their disaster of a marriage and onto their memories from school, when they had been so young and close. She laughed as he recounted the time that he and Harry got stuck up the massive oak tree on the school grounds and the whole school had showed up to watch the firemen rescue them. When the packing was done, they collapsed onto the sofa, both exhausted.

"You think we can be friends after all this?" Ron asked quietly and she felt tears well up in her eyes.

"I want nothing more to go back to how we used to be, Ron," she hiccuped and he pulled her into a hug, causing more tears as she realised this was the first time he'd held her in a very long time, "What do we tell your family?"

"The truth, I guess?" He shrugged, "We grew up and we don't suit each other any more."

"Thank you," she nodded, and he raised his eyebrow at her, "For being so calm and understanding."

"Well you know me, 'Mione, I've always been the calm and rational one of us." He said, failing to keep a straight face as he burst out laughing.

They had stayed up talking for a while longer before Hermione turned in for the night, already feeling a huge weight lifted from her shoulders. For the first time in a long time, she had enjoyed an evening with Ron. How ironic that it had taken a conversation about their divorce to cause it to happen? He had even offered his help the next day to clean the new house, which she had accepted. He said he was going to get Harry and Ginny to meet them there, and they would break the news of their split together. It was amazingly amicable, and Hermione loved her soon-to-be ex-husband so much for it.


	13. Chapter 13

**August 15th 2007**

Ron had collapsed the back seats in her BMW and packed in as many boxes as he could before they pulled out of the parking garage of their block of flats and drove to her new house. When they got there, she showed him in and he had coughed at the smell of stale tobacco as she threw open the windows and brought in a bag of cleaning supplies from the car. She set him to work on the walls in the living room, handing him a spray bottle of sugar soap and a packet of sponges before she set off for the kitchen, getting stuck into cleaning the cupboards in and out. An hour later, she heard a knock at the door and she walked through to answer it, finding Harry and Ginny frowning at her.

"Come in, guys, Ron's in there," she smiled, pointing to the living room and watching as they threw confused looks at each other and walked through before joining them.

"Uh… What's going on?" Harry asked, looking between the two of them.

"What is this place?" Ginny asked, her face scrunched up at the smell.

"This is Hermiones new house." Ron told them, smiling and they both looked at her.

"We're, um, we're getting divorced?" She told them, or asked for their permission, as it came out as a question.

"You're WHAT?!" Ginny shrieked, her face turning angry and Harry shot her a look to calm her down.

"Whose decision was this?" Harry asked, looking at Ron who shrugged.

"Hermione started the process, but I completely agree with her," he said, turning his eyes to his little sister, "Neither of us have been happy for a very long time, Gin."

"Well we knew that," She revealed, "but I thought it was a phase, that you would work through it."

"We tried-"

"But we just don't work together any more. We're too different." Ron cut Hermione off with a shrug and she smiled, nodding.

"But you're both, well… Not happy, obviously, but you're ok?" Ginny sighed and looked between them.

"We'll be fine. We've decided that we're better off as friends and that's fine with me." Ron told his sister and Hermione nodded.

The conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door and Hermione frowned as she left the room to find out who it was. She was shocked to find Teddy grinning up at her with a radio in his arms and his dad stood behind him, holding a kettle. She grinned at him and almost hugged him in appreciation but held herself back, thankfully, turning down to Teddy.

"Oh my!" She gasped, chuckling, "I know a boy who looks just like you, but you can't be him because apparently you are an angel! You brought entertainment!"

"Dad said music makes cleaning go faster." Teddy laughed and Hermione rose her eyebrow, lifting her gaze to Remus who was chuckling and shaking his head.

"Did he now?" She asked and he nodded.

"As does tea and more help," he agreed, "So Teddy and I are here to volunteer."

"You are amazing," she grinned, taking the kettle as he handed it to her and gesturing for them to go into the living room and turning to Teddy, "Come and meet the rest of the troops, Teddy."

"Ok everyone, this is Remus and his son Teddy," she said and there was a chorus of hello's, "They live across the road, Remus is the lawyer helping with the divorce, Ron, and he is renting this house to me. It used to belong to his mother."

"Oh, I'm the, uh, soon to be ex?" Ron said, frowning as he offered his hand and Hermione shrugged, "Well, I'm a friend of Hermione's at any rate."

"Nice to meet you?" Remus said uncertainly as he took Ron's hand and the redhead snorted.

"It's fine," he told Remus, "We are in complete agreement on the state of our marriage."

"Ah, I see." Remus nodded, "Well it's nice to see a couple not trying to tear each other apart, that's for sure."

"And this is Harry and Ginny," Hermione said, pointing to the couple, "Harry is Sirius' nephew and Ginny is his wonderful wife."

"Ah, I've heard much about you, Harry!" Remus said with a grin, offering his hand to Harry who shook it and smiling at Ginny.

After the introductions were finished, Hermione set everyone to work, well, after a cup of tea for the adults and a glass of water for Teddy. Teddy was charged with the general dusting of surfaces, Harry and Ginny disappeared upstairs to tackle the bathroom, Hermione and Remus took charge in the kitchen and Ron attacked the living room. With the radio blaring out music, the rest of the day passed fairly quickly and when they all came together in the living room 4 hours later, the house smelled much better and was ready to be moved into, even if it wasn't exactly to her tastes. Remus, the wonderful human being that he was, invited them all round to his and when they agreed he ordered a takeaway from the Chinese around the corner, going to collect it as the rest of the adults listened to Teddy tell them what he loved about skateboarding. She Remus returned, he also carried a couple of bottles of wine.

They enjoyed a comfortable dinner and conversation before Harry and Ginny decided that it was time for them to go home and offered Ron a ride as Hermione said she wanted to go back to the house and measure up for furniture. Ron accepted and left with them, meaning Hermione was left with the Remus and Teddy. It was nearing 8o'clock when Remus instructed Teddy to go up and take a bath before getting ready for bed and, after much grumbling, Teddy disappeared leaving her alone with Remus.

"Thank you," she told him when they were alone, "For today I mean, helping in the house and inviting us back here."

"It was my pleasure," he said, smiling at her, "It's nice to see that you and Ron aren't trying to hurt each other. That's rare in your situation."

"I'm so surprised with how well he's taking the whole thing," she admitted as she allowed him to refill her wine glass, "I was expecting it to be far more…"

"Stressful?" He offered and Hermione nodded, "It usually is, my own definitely was."

"Oh!" She gasped, "You're divorced?"

"A long time ago," he nodded, "Teddy was two, so seven years ago now. Different circumstances though, as she was having an affair."

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that, Remus!" She exclaimed, reaching her hand out and touching his before blushing and snapping it away, "She still sees Teddy though?"

"Unfortunately, no," he said quietly, looking down at his hand, "She moved to America with the man she was having the affair with. Her and Teddy talk sometimes, but she hasn't seen him since he was… Four, I think?"

"Oh that's dreadful!" She said, disgusted that a mother would abandon her child, "I couldn't imagine having a child I never saw!"

"Yes, well," Remus said, standing up and collecting the plates and glasses, "She made her choice. I don't think Teddy has been too badly affected."

"He seems like an awesome kid," Hermione smiled and Remus nodded, "You've, uh, brought him up alone?"

"Between work and raising a son, I've not had much opportunity to find romance," Remus snorted as he stacked the dishwasher before turning to look at her, "You never know, though."


	14. Chapter 14

**October 20th 2007**

At first, Hermione found it surprisingly strange to live alone in the house. She moved in three days after they had cleaned the house and though things at the flat had been difficult and quiet for a while, she had always known that Ron was there with her and if anything happened he would be able to keep her safe. In the house, though, she was completely alone for the first time in her life and was quite nervous there for the first couple of weeks. She was glad to have Remus living just across the road, or she would have been a wreck. At least if anything happened she could run to him quite easily.

She had steadily been buying furniture for the house and was pleased that over the years she had managed to save a reasonable amount of money. She had begged Remus, with his range rover, to take her to Ikea on the day she moved in and he had agreed, though he told her it was because he wanted to buy Teddy a computer desk for his bedroom. On that day she had bought all the basic essentials, such as a bed and storage, as well as splashing out on a rather expensive leather sofa in a nice light blue. It looked ridiculous against the floral wallpaper and carpet, but that would soon be changing.

She had eaten dinner at Remus' house with him and Teddy quite a few times since she had moved in, and had grown close with both of them as a result. Teddy would sometimes come to her house at the weekends when his dad needed to go out and Teddy didn't want to go and she always had a lot of fun with him. He was a huge fan of board games and appreciated the rather large collection she had amassed over the years, especially enjoying Scrabble, which she encouraged to improve the 10 year olds vocabulary. Remus sometimes joined them when he arrived home, or otherwise just sit and watch the two of them play.

Her work had been it's usual fast paced, stressful self, but she was thoroughly enjoying being able to take her work home and not worrying that she would be interrupted or else unable to complete it. She had turned the second bedroom into an office come guest room, utilising a pull out sofa bed along one wall and filling the others with bookshelves. In short, her house was fast becoming her home and she was extremely grateful to Remus for allowing her to live in it.

Today, Remus was coming over to work on the garden while she painted the living room. After Ron had cleaned the walls it had uncovered the most awful wallpaper that was equal parts stripey and floral and horrifically bright green. Why anyone would choose such a wall covering we beyond her and she had spent hours the weekend before stripping it off the walls and preparing them for painting. Having umm-ed and ahh-ed over colour choices, she had settled on a very basic beige to cover the walls, thinking that it would warm the space and also make it appear larger. She was just pouring the paint into the tray for the roller when, she assumed Remus, knocked on the door. She snorted when she opened the door and found him wearing the most ridiculously faded and paint covered jeans she had ever seen and a paint splashed tshirt. In his hands he carried a strimmer and a bucket full of gardening tools.

"You seem… Prepared?" She chuckled and he shrugged.

"Its supposed to be unseasonably warm today," he told her, pointing to her jeans and thick jumper, "You're the one who is dressed ridiculously."

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" She grumbled with a frown and followed him through to the kitchen, opening the back door for him, "Its comfy!"

"You know you're going to get splashed with the paint, right?" He asked and Hermione snorted.

"No I won't, I am very careful!" She told him surely and he hummed in response, heading out to the garden, chuckling as he went.

Hermione returned into the living room, shaking her head but not fighting the smile on her face. She picked up the roller and covered it in paint before pressing it on the wall, not noticing the tiny dots of paint appearing on her red jumper. After an hour, she definitely felt a drop of paint fall onto her hair, though, and she lifted her hand to check it, unintentionally spreading it through her hair. She shrieked when she realised what she'd done and heard loud footsteps come through the kitchen and a, for some reason topless, Remus ran into the room, looking frantic.

"What?!" He gasped as he looked over her and she stomped her foot as she pointed to her head. Remus burst out laughing.

"It's not funny!" She whined, "Is this ever going to come out?!"

"Let me see," he chuckled and stepped closer to her, turning her head to get a better look, which left her unable to look away from his very toned chest.

"Well?" She muttered, feeling him let go of her head and turning her head to look up at him.

"How did you get so much in there?" He asked and her eyes widened.

"What?! How big is it?!" She shrieked, bringing her hand back up to her head and he chuckled, "Remus!"

"I'm sorry," he grinned, "it'll come out when you wash it."

"What if it doesn't come out?" She asked in a panic and he smiled as he reached to pull her hand from her head and she expected him to let go, butvwas surprised when his thumb brushed across the back of her knuckles.

She looked up at him wide eyed and found him to be smiling softly down at her, his eyes flicking to her lips before they came back up to her eyes. Her mouth opened, but she couldn't think of anything to say and she closed it again. He seemed to be moving closer, but she couldn't be sure. She was frozen as the pad of this thumb softly grazed the back of her hand and his eyes were glued to hers. They seemed frozen in time until they were disturbed by a knock at the door, and Remus cleared his throat as she stepped away from him and into the hallway. She paused at the door, trying to calm her racing heart before she pulled it open to find his son on her doorstep, and he was crying.

"Teddy?" She gasped, pulling him instinctively into her arms and leading him into the living room as he clung to her. "Teddy, what's wrong sweetheart?"

"Teddy!" Remus gasped as she sat with his son on the sofa, running her fingers through his hair, shrugging at Remus who kneeled down in front of them and put his hand on his son's shoulder. "Teddy, what's happened?"

"A boy a- at the skate p- p- park " Teddy hiccuped, "Pushed me o- off my board a- a- and took my board!"

"Are you hurt, love?" Hermione said in a soothing tone and felt him nod against her shoulder, "Remus go get my first aid box. It's under the sink in the kitchen. Can you show me Teddy?"

Teddy nodded and pulled away from her, wiping his arm across his face before he lifted his trouser leg and revealed a graze that covered the side of his leg before lifting his hands palm up and showing her a graze on the pad of each hand. She gave him a kiss on the forehead and when Remus returned with her first aid box, she cleaned his wounds with antiseptic wipes before wrapping them in bandages. He was much calmer once he was seen to, but he didn't want to let Hermione go and she didn't want to upset his so she asked Remus if he would finish the painting. He agreed and they spent a couple of hours watching his topless dad decorate her living room as Teddy curled up into her side, laughing when a blob of paint fell directly onto the end of Remus' nose. When it was done, he collapsed on the sheet covered sofa on the other side of Teddy and rested his arm across the back of it.

"Thank you," he said simply and she felt his fingers brush her shoulder where her jumper had slipped down, she smiled at him, "I've never seen him like this with anyone."

"I am here, you know." Teddy grumbled, turning his head to glare at his dad and Hermione snorted.

"We could never forget about you, love," she chuckled, kissing the crown of his head, "Are you feeling better?"

"A bit," he nodded, "Dad, what are we going to do about my board?"

"We'll get you a new one," Remus shrugged, "If you ask Hermione nicely, she might take you to get one now while I pop home and have a shower?"

"Can we? Please!" Teddy exclaimed, pulling away from her and grinning excitedly, she rolled her eyes and grinned back.

"Oh alright, I suppose so…" Teddy got up and jumped up and down in joy, "But!"

"Anything!" Teddy said, still grinning.

"Only if we get you some knee pads too," She told him and he groaned, "You wear them under your trousers so no-one can see them and they will help prevent any more scrapes. Deal?"

"Hmm…" Teddy hummed grumpily, looking at her hand that she offered him so he could shake on their deal, before rolling his eyes and grabbing her hand, "Fine, deal."


	15. Chapter 15

**November 5th 2007**

"Teddy?" Hermione asked as she pulled open the front door, finding the 9 year old stood on her doorstep, looking nervous. "Everything ok, love?"

"Well, I was just wondering, if you have nothing else to do, would you come to watch the fireworks with us tonight?" He asked quietly and Hermione couldn't help but smile.

"Does your dad know you're inviting me?" She asked and Teddy shook his head.

"No, but he won't mind. He thinks you're really cool." He said and Hermione snorted at how easy kids made everything seem.

"I'd love to come, but we better check with you dad, just to make sure it's ok with him, hmmm?" She asked, picking up her keys from the hallway table and stepping out of the house.

They headed over the road and Teddy opened the front door for her before mumbling something that she couldn't hear and running upstairs rather hurriedly. Hermione called after him that he was a coward and dropped her keys in the bowl by the door before she shut the door behind her. She checked in the living room and, finding it empty, walked through into the kitchen and found Remus emptying the dishwasher, apparently not having heard her come in.

"I just had the most wonderful little boy show up on my doorstep." she said, leaning on the island counter opposite the dishwasher and he gasped, turning around the face her.

"Do you always sneak up on people?" He snorted and she shrugged.

"Do you always get so engrossed in the dishwasher that you don't hear the front door closed?" She shot back with a grin.

"Alright, you win," he muttered, leaning on the opposite side of the island with his hands just a couple of inches apart, "So next doors toddler just knocked on your door, that must have been surprising."

"Oh har har," Hermione snorted, "I hear you're going to watch some fireworks tonight?"

"We are, would you like to come with us?" He asked and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I'm afraid I've already been invited by someone else, and I don't think I can stand him up," She said with a straight face and Remus frowned at her, "I find it impossible to say no to a 10 year old."

"Teddy invited you?" He asked and she nodded, "He's very fond of you, you know."

"I'm quite fond of him, too. He really is a wonderful boy," She told him kindly checking the clock and finding that it was already almost 4o'clock, "What time are we going?"

"Get here at 6?" He asked and she nodded, leaving his house and going back to hers.

xxxxxxxxxx

The field where the fireworks display was being held was absolutely heaving with people and Hermione kept a very close eye on Teddy to make sure he didn't get lost in the crowds. She was being pushed around quite a lot herself, as she was very petite, until she felt her arm being put into the crook of an arm and turned to find Remus looking down at her with a smile on his face. She grinned up at him as they continued to push through the crowd and stopped when Teddy tugged on his dad's arm and pointed to the bright fun fair covered in multicoloured lights.

"Can we go on some rides? Please?" Teddy asked and Remus rolled his eyes while Hermione chuckled.

"You know I get sick on those things, Teddy." Remus sighed and now Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Alright, you boring git, go and stand over there," she told Remus, pointing to a quiet section off to the side, pulling some cash from her purse and handing her handbag to him, "and hold this. Teddy!"

"Yes?" Teddy asked, looking glum at the thought of having no-one to go on the rides with, as Hermione walked past him towards the Waltzers and winked at Remus.

"Are you coming or not?" She asked and the little boy grinned brightly, running after her.

She and Teddy rode all the rides at least once. The Waltzers and the Moondancer proved to be Teddy's favourites and she agreed to go on them twice. They got stuck in the mirror maze for half an hour and when they eventually found their way out they were clutching their sides, acting from laughing so much. She watched as he went on the fun house alone and took some photos of him on her phone, laughing when he fell over on the moving steps. He would be bruised in the morning, but it was worth it to see him so happy. Just as he was coming out of the fun house, she almost jumped out of her skin when someone whispered in her ear.

"You would make an incredible mum."

She turned, but there was no one behind her. Frowning and turning back to Teddy she saw him standing with his dad, grinning from ear to ear and excitedly telling him about all the rides, spinning as he explained what she assumed to be the Waltzers. She shook her head to rid herself of confusion and walked over to them, laughing when Teddy jumped up and down, begging for candy floss. Remus had given him some money and told him to go get some sweets, but to make sure he could still see him and Hermione. They watched as Teddy ran off happily and Remus turned to her.

"So were the rides as 'totally freaking awesome' as Teddy would have me believe?" He asked with a cocked eyebrow and she laughed.

"Of course, they were, like, totally rad man!" She said in a lazy surfer drawl and Remus threw his head back laughing.

"It's really nice to see him having so much fun," he said, turning to watch Teddy as he paid for his sweets, "He usually doesn't go on the rides because the one time I went on with him, I ended up throwing up in a bin."

"Ooh, tough break." Hermione winced, laughing, "I love spending time with him. You've done an amazing job."

"You reckon?" He asked and she nodded.

"Of course. I can't believe his mum doesn't want to see him. I'd love to have a son like him." Hermione said, watching Teddy come running back to them.

They moved to the bonfire after that and enjoyed it's warmth in the cold night. Teddy was really excited about the fireworks, and probably on a massive sugar high, as he ran around yelling about how amazing the bangs would be and how he couldn't wait to tell his friends about the fun fair. Hermione couldn't wipe the smile off of her face as she watched him, he was quickly taking over her heart and she felt so angry that he had missed out on having his mum around. After about 10 minutes by the bonfire, the countdown began for the fireworks.

Hermione had been expecting garden variety fireworks, the cheap ones that they sell in the shops, and she almost screamed when the first one exploded. She heard Remus laugh next to her and felt his hesitant hand reach up and land on her shoulder. She turned to him, smiled and reached up with her hand, laying it on top of his before turning back to the fireworks. Teddy came to stand in front of her and she put her other arm around his shoulders. To anyone looking at them who didn't know them, they probably looked like any of the other families here, and for the small time while the fireworks continued, Hermione allowed herself to pretend, just for a while.

They walked home after the fireworks had finished, having left their cars parked in their driveways, not seeing the point in driving just over a mile to get there. Teddy was still bouncing around and Hermione had ended up confiscating the rest of his sweets as they left the field, fearing he wouldn't sleep at all that night if he ate any more. She promised him he could have them back the next day if he went straight for a bath when he got home and didn't give his dad any trouble. Remus had smiled and nodded, thanking her for her forethought. They were just walking up their street when Remus turned to her and grinned at her.

"Thank you for coming tonight, Hermione." He told her and she shrugged, grinning as she watched Teddy jumping down the road like a kangaroo.

"You don't need to thank me, Remus," she said softly, gesturing at Teddy, "Look at him, his happiness is enough thanks. Besides, I had a really nice night, so I should be thanking you, really."

"Yes, well," Remus shrugged as they came to his driveway, "I better get the sugar monster inside. See you soon?"

She nodded and was surprised when he quickly lent in and pressed a kiss to her cheek. She was even more surprised when Teddy's arms wrapped around her waist and he told her that he had loved spending the evening with her. She felt tears spring to her eyes as she turned away from the two Lupin men, crossing the road and entering her own house. Sighing, she took off her jacket and hung it on the hook before going into the kitchen and pulling out a bottle of wine, pouring a glass and going into the living room. Flopping down on the sofa, her eyes drifted to Remus' house, wondering what they were doing right that very second.


	16. Chapter 16

**December 12th 2007**

If there was one thing that Hermione hated above all else, it was Christmas shopping. Her idea of hell seemed to materialise in front of her every festive season, as she battled her way through the seemingly endless swarms of people who all seemed to hate it just as much as her, but still did exactly the same thing every year. This year would be even more stressful for her, because not only did she have to worry about herself, she also had some responsibility for an excitable 9 year old. As they stood on the corner of Oxford street, Hermione wondered whether agreeing to bring Teddy Christmas shopping had been a very good idea, but there was no going back now.

"What are you getting for your dad?" She asked, as they forced their way through the crowds.

"I don't kn-" she felt his hand grab onto hers as someone knocked into them and she pulled him closer, not letting go, "I don't know, I was thinking books?"

"Sounds like a good idea," she said, spotting Waterstones and heading in that direction, "What kind of things does he like to read?"

"He likes fantasy books, like zombies and werewolves and stuff." Teddy told her as they finally entered the shop and she nodded, leading him to the fantasy fiction section.

She helped him to find a few books, including a full set of the Lord of the Rings books, which Teddy was sure he didn't have. They ended up with a huge bag full of books when they left and Hermione asked what she should buy for his dad. Teddy thought about it and suggested maybe something to watch and Hermione nodded, picking up the Lord of the Rings on DVD, as well as a selection of other fantasy films and also an expensive bottle of whiskey. She bought what she needed for Ron, Harry, Sirius and the rest of her hoard and when they were back in the car, their purchases stuffed into the boot, Teddy gasped and she glanced at him as she pulled out of the car park.

"I didn't get you anything!" He exclaimed and Hermione chuckled.

"That's okay, love, I'm not expecting you to buy me anything." She told him and he rolled his eyes.

"But at Christmas you have to buy a present for everyone you love!" He said and Hermione grinned as she navigated a roundabout and promptly got stuck in traffic.

"Oh Teddy, I love you very much but you don't have to buy me anything." She told him and he smiled happily at her, but he looked troubled, "What's bothering you, sweetheart?"

"Do you think I should buy something from my mum?" He asked sweetly and Hermiones heart jumped into her throat, she swallowed the lump it formed and turned to look at him, knowing the traffic would be stationary for a while.

"Do you think you should?" She asked gently and he shrugged.

"I don't usually." He muttered and Hermione pushed a stray piece of hair from his face gently.

"Why do you ask, love?" She coaxed and he turned to look at the road.

"She's never given me a Christmas present. Do you think she loves me?" He asked and Hermione wanted to groan. She would have to talk to Remus about this when she dropped Teddy off at home, but for now she had to try and answer him.

"I think she does, in her own way, Teddy. Have I ever told you about my mum?" She asked and the boy shook his head, "Before my mum died, we didn't see each other for a long time, because she lived in Australia."

"Why did she live there?" Teddy asked and Hermione shrugged, accelerating as the traffic eased.

"She liked the warmer weather, I assume," she snorted, "But what I'm trying to say is that just because she was really far away, it didn't mean that she didn't love me and I didn't love her. Do you see what I mean?"

"Yeah, I guess." Teddy muttered.

"Sometimes people just move to different places and lose touch with people at home. But I'm sure your mum loves you very much. She's lucky to have such a brilliant son."

When they arrived home and Hermione had hidden his presents for Remus in her house, promising to wrap them and bring them over on Christmas morning, she went with Teddy across the road and watched sadly as he traipsed up the stairs, looking glum. She sighed and hung her handbag on the banister before going into the living room where Remus was watching the news on TV.

"How was he?" Remus asked, turning to her and she nodded.

"He was fine. But I need to tell you something," she said, slipping her shoes off and curling them underneath her on the sofa and turning her whole body to face him, "He asked whether I thought his mum loved him."

"Oh Teddy," Remus sighed sadly, "What brought that on?"

"I don't know, he realised he hadn't bought anything for me and said he needed to buy something for everyone he loves," she smiled softly at the memory, "I told him that I love him very much but I don't expect a present from him, and he asked if he should get one for his mum and then…"

"Sometimes I hate her you know." Remus muttered, and Hermione nodded, "For not thinking him important enough to stick around for. What did you say to that?"

"What could I say?" She snorted sadly, "I told him that of course she loves him, and told him how my mum lived in Australia for a long time before she died but even though she was far away, she still loved me."

"Good answer." Remus snorted and Hermione frowned.

"I didn't know how to handle it. Do you think I did ok with him?" She asked concernedly.

"I think you handled it brilliantly. Thank you," He said and stood up. "You're welcome to wait here, but I should to and talk this out with him."

"No, it's fine. I've got plenty of wrapping to keep me occupied. I hope he's ok, Remus. Give him an extra hug for me?" Remus nodded and left, leaving Hermione to let herself out.

She crossed back to her house and let herself in, feeling horrible for Teddy and hating that he could believe anyone not to love him. He'd stolen her heart, that was for sure, and she hoped that he knew how much she loved him. They were almost becoming a very unconventional pseudo-family, doing everything that families do but living apart. It was nice, but it made her wonder what it would be like, to have her own family.

The problem was, the more time she spent with Teddy and Remus, the harder she found it to envision a family that didn't include them. They were growing more and more comfortable with each other and she thought, or she hoped, that there were times that Remus was almost flirtatious with her. She couldn't forget the whisper in her ear at the fun fair. Although she had no proof that it had been him, it was the only thing that made any sense. She had been running around with his son, after all, and he had appeared suspiciously quickly after she had heard the whispered words.


	17. Chapter 17

**December 15th 2007**

Hermione glanced around her local pub for what felt like the millionth time in the last 10 minutes, hoping to catch sight of the familiar red hair of her now ex-husband. Their divorce had finalised today, Remus had handed her the certificate and she had immediately planned to meet with Ron to discuss it. He was late, but that was no surprise with him, and she took a sip of her whiskey and coke before glancing up again and sighing with relief. She stood up and waved as Ron looked in her direction and he walked to her table with a smile. He asked if she wanted a refill and disappeared to the bar, returning a couple of minutes later with another drink for her and a pint for himself.

"'Ello." He grinned, "How are you?"

"I'm good. You?" She asked, feeling slightly awkward and he shrugged.

"Not too bad," he smiled, "I wasn't expecting to hear from you today, everything ok?"

"Well," She took a deep breath, deciding to tell him straight and pulled the certificate from her pocket, sliding it toward him on the table, "It's official."

"Ah, I see," he frowned, reading over the paper. "That was quick, you ok with this?"

"Yeah, I am," she nodded, "It's… well never mind, it's not important. Are you okay with it?"

"Yeah, actually," he said, chuckling and handing the paper back to her, "I was expecting to be upset, but I don't feel any different. But tell me what's bothering you."

"Its about a man, Ron, are you sure you want to hear this?" She asked and he shrugged.

"I'll tell you about the girl I've been seeing if you tell me about him." He said and Hermione grinned.

"You have a girlfriend?" She chuckled, "That's really good! I'm happy for you, Ron."

"Thanks, she's pretty cool, but tell me about your guy first." He pushed and she groaned.

"That's the problem, he's not my guy!" She sighed, "It's Remus."

"Makes sense," he shrugged and she gawped at him in shock, "Oh come on, you've always been the logical one. You're both really clever, you're both incredibly driven and you both work really hard. So yeah, it makes sense, right?"

Ron was right, of course. On paper, she and Remus were perfectly suited, but in real life she didn't think he would ever be interested in her. She told Ron the main thing that had been bothering her, that now her divorce was final she would have no reason to see Remus any more, but surprisingly Ron had managed to knock some sense into her by reminding her that a) most of the times she saw him it had nothing to do with the divorce b) she lived across the street in a house that he owned and c) Teddy had nothing to do with the divorce and he wanted her around. She had to concede that he was talking sense, but she didn't believe that Remus held any romantic notions towards her. Ron had given up eventually and moved on to telling her about his girlfriend, as promised.

"She works in the shop next door to where I work." He grinned and she admitted they sounded more suitable for one another, "She's from a family of 6 kids, so she's used to the madness of mine. Mum loves her and she's great with the kids."

"She sounds lovely, Ron." Hermione grinned, "What's her name?"

"Lavender," Ron chuckled, "Like the flower not the colour, is what she always says."

"I'm really glad you've met someone," Hermione smiled, "I should get going. I'll see you soon, ok?"

Ron had agreed they should meet soon, and invite Harry and Ginny along too and Hermione left the pub to walk home. She really was happy that Ron had met someone who sounded so appropriately matched with him. If she could handle the crazy Weasley family, that was half the battle already won. She wondered if she would ever find the chance at happiness that her friend seemed to have found, but she doubted it would come any time soon.

When she got home, she pulled the curtains closed and was just running the bath when she heard a knock at the door. She wrapped her dressing gown around herself and went down to check who it was and her heart skipped a beat at finding Remus on her doorstep in his pyjamas. She pulled open the door with a frown and he smiled slightly

"Teddy figured out where I hide the Christmas presents," he blurted and Hermione had to laugh, He genuinely seemed to be quite panicked, "He found them before bed and I only just managed to stop him opening any of them and I was hoping you wouldn't mind keeping them here? I mean-"

"Remus!" She exclaimed, grinning, and he stopped talking, "You're rambling. Of course I will, bring them over."

"Thank you!" He exhaled, grabbing her and pushing a strong kiss to her forehead.

She stood frozen in shock as she watched him run across the road and open the front door of his house, disappearing and coming out shortly after with a huge canvas bag. Presumably, it contained Teddy's presents. He dropped it on her doorstep and she went to move it, finding it to be very heavy and he offered to carry it. She guided him in and shut the door, leading him upstairs and into her bedroom where she opened the built in cupboard and he put it inside. It wasn't until she shut the door that she realised that she had just brought Remus into her bedroom, and to make things that much worse, the red lace knickers she had been planning to put on after her bath were laid out on her bed.

"Uh…" Hermione blushed and Remus' eyes, which had been looking at her bed, snapped to hers, wide in shock.

"Um, thanks. I'll just… I'll see you later." He stammered and rushed from the room.

Hermione flopped down onto her bed and slapped her hands over her face, groaning into them as she heard the front door shut. Of all the times he could have come over and of all the places she could have told him to hide them and of all the knickers she had pulled out of her drawer… She could swear that the gods were conspiring against her. She snorted when she thought of how it could have been worse. She could have pulled out her misshapen, baggy cotton knickers, reserved for wearing only during her periods. At least he saw her fancy pants. She groaned as she sat up and went back into the bathroom, filled the bath and sunk down into the water, entirely mortified.


	18. Chapter 18

**December 25th 2007**

She had chosen to spend Christmas with Remus and Teddy this year over going to the Weasleys, as she didn't want to cause any awkwardness and she knew that Ron had invited his new girlfriend over for the day. Knowing that she would feel slightly uncomfortable at the thought of spending Christmas with her boyfriends ex-wife, she had bailed out and given their presents to Harry to hand out on her behalf. Originally, she had planned to spend the day alone, but that was before Teddy found out her plans. That boy was a force to be reckoned with when he wanted something, and he sure wanted Hermione with him and his dad at Christmas. He had begged her to come over and had refused to leave her house the day before until she said yes. So here she was at 8am on Christmas day, dressed in a dress that was designed to look like a feminine version of Santa's outfit, crossing the road to Remus' house with a huge sack of presents thrown over her shoulder. She knocked on the door and Remus opened it, immediately laughing at her.

"Ho ho ho?" She laughed and he nodded at her, trying to stop laughing.

"What on earth are you wearing?" He snorted and she had to smile.

"I've got the gifts, therefore I am Santa. Are you going to let me in or do I have to come down the chimney?" She laughed and he bowed her in.

"I would love to see you trying to come down the chimney." He chuckled, calling up to Teddy to let him know she was here.

Teddy came bounding down the stairs and jumped from the third step up and Hermione barely caught him as he threw his arms around her neck. She stumbled, laughing and swung him around once before putting him down and wishing him a merry Christmas. Much to Teddy's displeasure, Remus insisted that they eat breakfast before they open presents and he served them all a rather lovely meal of pancakes and fruit, eaten to the sound of Christmas carols, before they walked into the living room and gathered around the bottom of the tree. Remus took charge of handing out the presents and grew very confused by the large amount of presents that he had to keep for himself. Teddy and Hermione grinned at each other when he frowned at them.

"Why do I have so many?" He asked and Teddy laughed, leaving Hermione to answer for them both.

"We spoiled you," she shrugged, "You deserve it."

"Oh, well, thank you." He muttered and Hermione could tell that he wasn't used to receiving such affectionate words.

"Open something, Dad!" Teddy said excitedly and Remus picked up the closest present, which turned out to be the collection of the Lord of the Rings books. He grinned at Teddy and thanked him before turning to Hermione, telling her to open something.

She picked up a small box and turned the tag over, sighing when she found it to be from Teddy. She looked up at him but he told her to just open it already and she rolled her eyes as she did. She gasped when she opened it to find a Pandora bracelet with three charms: a heart, a house and one of her birthstone. She had tears in her eyes as she pounced on Teddy and he squealed as she pressed kisses all over his face.

"Dad! Help!" He shouted and Remus shook his head, laughing. He abruptly stopped when she pulled back from Teddy and pounced onto him, throwing her arms around his neck. He chuckled and held her for a moment before she pulled away, blushing and asked Teddy to put the bracelet on her.

They continued opening presents and thanking for what they received. Remus loved all of his books and DVDs, but told her off for spending so much on him. She shrugged and told him they were even as she waved his wrist in his face. Teddy received a ridiculous amount of toys, games and books, as well as his main present from Hermione, which earned her another telling off from Remus, saying she spent too much. But she told him that as she paid such little rent, she could easily afford it. He had quickly shut up when she had suggested he increase the rent if he didn't want such extravagant gifts. She watched as Teddy opened her gift.

"Are you serious?" He whispered when he pulled back the paper on the larger box and he screamed when Hermione nodded.

She'd bought him both an Xbox 360 and a Nintendo DS, thinking he would like something that he could easily take out of the house and she felt hand squeeze her knee as he opened the packages in awe. Turning to look at Remus, she found him watching his son happily and she gently laid her hand on top of his. He smiled at her and pulled his hand away and she bit her lip to try and ignore her slightly hurt feelings. He obviously hadn't realised he had been touching her.

The rest of the day was spent watching Christmas movies and eating way too much food. Remus had cooked an amazing chicken roast dinner with all the trimmings and Hermione was sure she went up two dress sizes at the amount of food she ate. They were sitting next to each other on the sofa in the evening, watching yet another festive film and Teddy was laying on his stomach in front of the TV. It was another moment when Hermione allowed herself to pretend they were a family, but she didn't let the thought last long. During a break, Teddy announced that he needed the toilet and ran up the stairs. They heard him come back down and then they heard giggling coming from the doorway next to the sofa. Turning to him, they both groaned when they discovered him to be holding a clump of mistletoe above their heads.

"Teddy…" Hermione sighed, desperate to avoid knowing what it felt like to kiss Remus, she knew it would make it more difficult not to have him.

"No, you have to kiss under the mistletoe!" He said sternly and Remus groaned again.

"Don't be silly, Teddy," he said, "Look, the film's coming back on."

"Your dad's right, Teddy. We don't have to kiss." She was feeling incredibly hurt by Remus' apparent reluctance to kiss him, and she could hear that it came out in her voice. Remus turned to her.

"What's wrong?" He asked and Hermione shook her head.

"Just kiss!" Teddy shouted and Remus rolled his eyes before leaning in and kissing her…

On the cheek.


	19. Chapter 19

January 10th 2008

If you ever brought it up with Hermione, she would tell you until she was blue in the face that she was definitely, absolutely not avoiding Remus Lupin. They just hadn't had the opportunity to see each other since Christmas, that was all. She had stayed until the end of the film after the mistletoe incident and then defeatedly crossed the road and collapsed against the door as soon as it shut behind her. She knew now for certain that Remus would never be interested in her. He had been handed the perfect opportunity to test the waters, so to speak, and he had not even considered it. Or at least, it didn't seem that he had.

As it was the festive period and nothing had called her into work, until three days ago she had had nothing to take her mind off of the ridiculous thoughts and feelings flying through her and had spent most of the time between Christmas and the day she went back to work with the curtains closed, curled up on the sofa in her pyjamas and ignoring the door if anybody knocked. She knew that some of the time it had been Teddy, but she couldn't face being dragged over to see Remus. Thankfully, though, she was now back at work and was gratefully distracted when her phone started to buzz. She sighed when she saw it was a call from Teddy's school. Remus had given them her mobile number in case of emergencies, and she frowned as she realised that they wouldn't be calling unless it was extremely urgent. She picked it up immediately with this realisation.

"Hello?" She asked worriedly and heard the person on the other end sigh.

"Oh thank god," they sighed, "Is this Hermione?"

"Yes it is, what's wrong? Is Teddy ok?" She asked quickly.

"Teddy is fine, but I'm afraid the police are here. His dad has been involved in a car accident." Hermione's heart physically hurt at the persons words, "Would you be able to come and collect Teddy, please? He is quite upset."

"Of course." Hermione said, her words coming out as a croak, "Tell Teddy I'll be there as soon as I can."

She rushed to pack up her belongings and knocked on Kingsley's door, going in when he called and urgently explaining the situation and Kingsley, being as understanding as ever, had given her the week off to make sure Teddy was ok. Thanking him profusely, she ran from the office and was driving towards Teddy's school within 10 minutes of the phonecall. She needed to keep calm for the boy, but her heart was racing and her thoughts were all over the place. If the police were involved, that meant that the accident had been serious. It sounded to her that Remus had been taken to hospital and she felt sick at the thought that she had been avoiding him over something so utterly stupid. She thrashed her hands on the steering wheel in anger at herself as she turned into the car park at Teddy's school. She ran into the reception area after locking her car and quickly explained who she was before being led into a meeting room, finding a quiet Teddy and two police officers. Teddy ran straight to her and she crouched down as he cried into her shoulder, talking to the police over his shoulder.

"What's happened?" She asked and the younger of the two turned to her.

"Mr. Lupin's car was hit on the drivers side by another vehicle. He is currently in St. George's being treated for suspected internal bleeding." He told her quietly so as not to upset Teddy.

"Oh god," she moaned, closing her eyes and feeling a tear slip down her cheek, before pulling away from Teddy and wiping his red blotchy face and turning back to the police officer, "Can we see him?"

"You can follow us to the hospital," he suggested and Hermione nodded gratefully, "We need to talk to Mr. Lupin anyway, it's believed that the other driver was intoxicated."

She had bundled Teddy into the car and driven behind the police all the way to the hospital, hoping that Remus was going to be okay and beyond angry that this heartache could be caused by one idiot driving after having a drink. Teddy was silent for the whole journey and she was extremely worried about him. When they pulled in to the car park, she opened his door for him and held out her hand, smiling weakly at him when he took it, leading him into ae. They were greeted by a nurse who had been treating Remus, who took them aside to update them.

"We've given him a CT scan and found a small bleed near his kidney, so he will be moved to a ward to keep an eye on that. Other than that, Remus has been extremely lucky. He is quite bruised, but has managed to escape any other major injuries." She said to Hermione before crouching down in front of Teddy, "We don't usually allow children into the department in case they get scared, but if you promise to be an extra brave boy, we can go and see your dad. He's been asking for you, ok?"

"I can be brave." Teddy told her strongly and the nurse grinned before leading them through the doors and into a cubicle.

When Hermione saw him, she choked on a sob when she took in his appearance. She let go of Teddy's hand and watched as he ran to his dad and gave him a huge hug, before turning and walking slightly away, covering her face and crying for a few moments before forcing herself to stop. If Teddy saw her upset, he would only be more worried about his dad. She took some deep breaths to calm down and turned back, walking into the cubicle to find a bruised and bloody Remus telling a wide eyed Teddy how he had been rushed in with 'sirens and everything'. She snorted at his description and Remus turned to her.

"Sorry about this, Hermione," he said, waving a bruised hand at himself, "And thank you for collecting Teddy."

"Of course," she shrugged, "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been hit by a truck." He chuckled and she shook her head, "Are you ok to look after Teddy for a few days? I've already told him he can stay home from school until I'm better."

"Kingsley already cleared it," she said and heard Teddy gasp, "What?"

"You work for Kingsley Shacklebolt?!" He screeched and Hermione put her finger to her lips, fearing they would be thrown out if Teddy was too noisy, and then nodded.

"I'm his assistant." She told him and his jaw dropped.

"Wow." He gasped, "Can I meet him?!"

"I might be able to arrange something," she laughed, "let's concentrate on your dad first though, yeah?"

Remus had been moved to a ward soon after they had arrived and after following him up and asking if they could bring anything for him tomorrow, said their goodbyes and headed home. They went to his house first, Remus having given her the keys at the hospital, and Teddy ran up to his room to pack a bag for a few days. Hermione took the time to lock all of the windows and doors and check the fridge for anything that would spoil, finding nothing, and then they crossed to her house where she cooked dinner for them while he watched TV. Teddy was quiet that evening, which Hermione had expected, and he went to bed on the pull out bed in her office quite early. She turned in quite early herself after a quick shower, wondering how Remus was feeling and what tomorrow might bring.


	20. Chapter 20

**January 12th 2008**

Hermione had taken Teddy to the hospital yesterday and had listened as he talked excitedly to his dad about having a huge bed at Hermione's house and how she hadn't made him have a bath before he went to bed the night before. She had snorted and told him he wouldn't be so lucky two nights in a row. She remained silent for most of the visit, tuning out of the conversation and getting lost in her own thoughts. When visiting hours were over, she took Teddy home and they enjoyed a relaxed evening in front of the TV as she answered his random questions about Kingsley. She made a mental note to find a way for Teddy to meet the PM, and went to bed glad that Remus was on the mend.

Today she had taken Teddy up to the ward and left to have a cup of tea and perhaps a slice of cake in the hospital cafe, thinking that the little boy might want some time alone with his dad. She was sitting in the cafe for almost an hour, and had enjoyed a very delicious slice of carrot cake and two cups of tea when she decided to go back up to join them on the ward. She walked to the lifts and took one to to the third floor, turning left when she stepped out and walked towards where Remus' bed was. She stopped and smiled as she heard them talking and sat on a chair on the other side of the curtain that was around his bed.

"Dad?" Came Teddy's voice, seeming unsure.

"What's up?" Remus asked sounding concerned, Hermione could hear the frown in his voice.

"Why doesn't my mum ever come to see me?" Teddy asked and Hermione winced at how sad he sounded, "Hermione says that mum loves me but…"

"Your mum loves you, Teddy." Remus told him softly and she heard the rustling of sheets suggesting that Remus had pulled Teddy into a hug.

"I wish Hermione could be my mum." She heard Teddy say and her eyes flew wide open, did he really want that?

"I know, buddy. Me too." Wait what? Did Remus just say that?

"Why can't she be? My stepmum I mean?" Teddy asked and Hb ermione could feel her heart pounding against her ribs. She heard Remus sigh.

"Teddy, we would have to love each other for that to even be a possibility." He said kindly.

"Don't you love Hermione, dad?" Teddy asked and Hermione felt sick.

"I love Hermione with all my heart, buddy." Remus sighed and Hermione slapped her hand over her mouth, tears falling. "But I'm an old man, Teddy, and Hermione wouldn't want to be tied down with me."

"Why not?" Teddy asked angrily, "She loves me and I think she loves you."

"I know Hermione loves you, Teddy." Remus sighed, "But she would have to love me a lot for her to be your step mum, and I don't think that's the case. That doesn't stop her from being in your life though."

Hermione couldn't breathe. She stood up very carefully to avoid making any noise in the chair, and tip toed across the ward and out into the main corridor. When she was out of earshot of the Lupin men, she closed her eyes tight and felt a gut wrenching sob break free from her throat. How could that man, that wonderful man, be so utterly stupid? Old man? He was no older than she felt! And he appeared and acted 10 years younger! They looked the same age and acted that way too so his excuse was nonsense! She desperately wanted to confront him and tell him what an idiot he was being, but didn't want to admit she had been listening. Deciding that she needed to talk to Sirius, she called him and arranged to meet him tomorrow, before walking back into the ward.

She made as much noise as she possibly could without coming across as insane when she walked back across the ward and into the cubicle. It took all of Hermione's strength to look at Remus and smile after what she had just heard, but somehow she managed. She could tell that Teddy was really angry with his dad and thought it might be better to get him home quickly to avoid a potentially very awkward situation.

"Are you ready to go, Teddy? I thought we could get a takeaway tonight." She said cheerfully and Teddy nodded, getting up and walking out of the cubicle without even saying goodbye. She saw Remus drop his head back and close his eyes.

"Teddy Lupin!" She shouted, "You come back here right now and say goodbye to your dad!"

"Hermione, don't w-"

Remus was interrupted as Teddy ran to the bed and gave him a hug, whispering something in his dad's ear that she couldn't hear, but she saw as Remus looked at her and muttered 'I know' back to whatever Teddy had said. Remus smiled at Hermione as Teddy walked out of the cubicle and she waved goodbye as she followed after him. Teddy was silent as they drove home but he kept watching her in such a way it made her want to cry. He had so many questions in his head, she could just tell, but she didn't have the strength to answer them. They got a Chinese takeaway for dinner and ate it off of trays in the living room before yet another early night.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

 **January 13th 2008**

After dropping Teddy off at the ward the next day and telling Remus she would be back in two hours, she got back in her car and drove to the cafe where she had arranged to meet Sirius. He was already sitting at a table when she arrived and he stood to greet her with a hug. When they sat down, she launched right into telling him what she had heard yesterday.

"…and then Remus told Teddy that he was too old and I wouldn't want him!" She finished a long time later, "Sirius, what do I do?"

"How do you feel about Remus?" Sirius asked, "I mean I can guess but I need to hear it."

"You would," she muttered before raising her voice slightly, "I love the bloody idiot."

"And Teddy?" He asked, smiling.

"You know how much I love Teddy, Sirius." She frowned, "Why are you asking me these things?"

"Because you needed to admit it to yourself before you can admit it to him." He grinned and her eyes flew wide.

"What?!" She squawked, blushing as the people around her turned to look at her, "Have you lost you tiny mind?! How the hell do I do that without ruining everything? What am I supposed to do, just walk up to him, stick my tongue down his throat and tell him I'm in love with him?"

"It would work on me!" Sirius chuckled and she slapped his arm.

"Be serious for five seconds would you!" She snapped.

"I've been Sirius all my life, love." He laughed and she slapped him around the head this time, "Alright alright, you get violent when you're stressed."

"Just tell me what to do!" She moaned and Sirius sighed.

"You need to tell him, because he will never make a move on you if you don't. You're a lot younger than us love, and he has a son you would have to take on, he's obviously going to think you're not interested." He said thoughtfully and she nodded, "So you have to tell him very clearly how you feel."

"Very clearly?" She asked.

"Do what you suggested before, but minus the tongue down the throat bit." He nodded.

She could do that.


	21. Chapter 21

**February 21st 2008**

She hadn't been able to do it. Not that she hadn't tried. She hadn't been actively avoiding Remus and life had returned pretty much back to normal, but every time they were alone she froze and they fell back into safe conversations about Teddy or their work. The problem was, she had almost tricked herself into thinking she had misheard what he had said. She could have, after all. She was fairly emotional and perhaps she had heard only what she wanted to hear. That happened, right?

So life was back to its normal rhythm and tonight found Hermione over with Remus and Teddy, having eaten dinner and now settled in the living room. Teddy had already had his bath and was about to go up for bed and he had, for some reason, asked Hermione to come to his bedroom for a minute. She had frowned but agreed and now sat on the edge of his bed as he watched her with sad eyes.

"Why can't you be my mum?" Teddy whispered suddenly and Hermione's heart almost broke. She pulled him into a hug and stroked his back, picking her words carefully.

"Just because I'm not your mum, sweetheart, doesn't mean I don't love you." She said as he laid back down and he nodded.

"I know, I love you too." Teddy shrugged, "But dad says you'll be an amazing mum one day and I wish you could be mine."

"He said that?" She asked with a sad smile and he nodded.

"Hermione?" He asked shyly

"Hmmm?" She hummed.

"Do you love my dad?" He asked and Hermione nodded as a tear escaped from her eye. Teddy sighed.

"You're both so silly!" He said loudly and Hermione shh-ed him before responding.

"Why do you say that, Teddy?" She sighed and he glared at her.

"Because he loves you and you love him and I love you both and you both love me, so why can't you just be my mum!" Teddy shouted and Hermione closed her eyes at the sound of a throat clearing in the hallway.

"Teddy, we talked about this." Remus said sternly and Teddy glared at him.

"But noones listening to me!" Teddy argued and Remus sighed.

"Hermione does not love me, Ted-"

"Yes I do!" She shouted suddenly before realising that she had said it out loud and covering her face, with her hands in embarrassment.

"See!" Teddy said, sounding far too smug. "And you told me you love her!"

"Teddy…" Hermione sighed, uncovering her face and turning to him.

"I think Hermione and I need to talk about this," Remus said over her and she turned shyly to him and nodded slightly, "Will you go to sleep now, Teddy?"

"Yes." Teddy said, smiling as he closed his eyes.

She turned to Remus and he gestured with his head towards the door before walking out. She followed him down the stairs and into the kitchen where they both stood very stiffly. Hermione dropped her head into her hands and groaned, before looking back at him and frowning.

"What… What just happened?" She asked and Remus snorted.

"I'm a little confused myself, to be honest," he said as he shrugged, "Um… Did you uh… Did you mean it?"

"Yup," She sighed, not seeing any point in lying to him any more.

"I uh… What now?" He asked and she shrugged, "This is ridiculous."

Suddenly he had crossed the room and his lips were against hers. Quite how he had gotten from where he had been to where he was now so quickly she had no idea, nor did she care as she felt his tongue brush her lip and a whimper escaped her as she wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed him into her mouth. His tongue brushed hers and a growl escaped him as he suddenly pushed her whole body backwards and she found herself pinned to the wall. His stubble was brushing against her skin and he tasted delicious as their tongues pushed against one another. Just as it was becoming hard to breathe, he pulled back slightly and gently nibbled her bottom lip, earning a moan from her, before pulling back completely, though not releasing her from the wall.

"Wow." She muttered and he chuckled, nodding. "We need to talk, right?"

"Not yet." He growled and his mouth was on hers again.

 **xxxxxxxxxx**

It was almost three hours later when they were able to talk. Somehow they'd gone from snogging against the kitchen wall to being in his bed, naked and gasping for breath and Hermione couldn't even remember the journey from there to here. She would never forget what had happened once they got here though. It was magical.

"So..." She grinned, rolling onto her side and facing him.

"Indeed." Remus chuckled, mirroring her position. "I have loved you for a long time, you know that?"

"Since when?" She whispered and he smiled.

"Since the day that you bandaged up my son and held him like a mother would." He whispered and she felt tears well in her eyes as she looked at him. "I fell in love with you that day and then bonfire night…"

"It was you!" She gasped, "You whispered in my ear!"

"I did," he nodded, pushing some hair gently from her shoulder and trailing his fingers up and down her arm, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you to your face."

"I knew it was you." She smiled, intertwining their fingers when his hand reached hers. "So is this… Us, are we, you know?"

"If you would like to be my… Girlfriend?" She snorted and nodded, "Then I would be glad to be your boyfriend, no matter how utterly ridiculous that sounds."

Hermione laughed loudly as he tackled her into a hug and rolled onto her, looming over her and smiling softly before leaning in for a gentle kiss that rapidly got out of hand. Hermione couldn't believe the turn that the day had taken. It was like the craziest of romantic comedies. Somehow they had gone from her tucking in her friends son to being a couple in love in the space of a few hours and Hermione couldn't be happier. All thought left her mind as his lips descended down her naked body and he made love to her all over again, before falling asleep tangled around each other.


End file.
